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Merab Dvalishvili responds to Umar Nurmagomedov jab: ‘You guys are little people’

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2 months ago

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Merab Dvalishvili responds to Umar Nurmagomedov jab: ‘You guys are little people’

Merab Dvalishvili is giving his side of the story in response to Umar Nurmagomedov calling him out for an incident that occurred at RAF Georgia.

This past July, Dvalishvili found himself in a scuffle with a friend of Nurmagomedov's that occurred at a pre-fight press conference when the friend confronted Dvalishvili for dismissing the possibility of a wrestling match with Nurmagomedov. Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov previously fought at UFC 311 in January 2025, when Dvalishvili scored a thrilling decision win to successfully defend his bantamweight title.

Nurmagomedv recently spoke on the RAF Georgia altercation, asking “How do you live with that?†in regards to Dvalishvili's behavior. On Tuesday, Dvalishvili fired back.

“Umar and some small people keep talking trash about me,†Dvalishvili said via a social media video. “You guys probably don't know anything about life, but I am a man, and if you come to me, pulling me over, disrespect me, start loud talk with me in a different language, I will slap your face. Because that's who I am. That's how I grew up. That's my culture and that's what you're going to get.

“So it doesn't matter if I am in U.S., if I am in Mexico, in Australia, or in my country Georgia. If you come with bad intentions, you're going to get bad intentions.â€

In the clip of the confrontation that went viral, Dvalishvili appeared to slap a fan, later identified as a friend of Nurmagomedov's named Ahmad. Dvalishvili didn't deny initiating the physicality, explaining that his actions were a consequence of the manner in which he was approached and his Georgian upbringing.

He warned Nurmagomedov and company that the incident could have been a lot worse under different circumstances.

“After that incident happened, of course I realized I was in Georgia and especially I realized after, all the teenagers, all the Georgian kids from Tbilisi wanted to fight,†Dvalishvili said. “All my friends want to fight. That could happen really bad because let's say 200 guests from different countries, we are three or four million people in my country, and even if 50,000 kids show up in the street, we all imagine what could happen.

“That's why I find a guy who I got an accident with and I shake his hand and everything is done and we are cool. But you guys, small people, keep talking about you guys trying to provocate [sic], you guys wasn't there, you guys don't know what happened. So stop this trash talk, stop this nonsense talking and you guys are little people. You guys have to learn life. Peace everybody, let's go.â€

Dvalishvili closed out his video message commenting on a different rival, Petr Yan. The two are currently tied in their series with Dvalishvili defeating Yan in their first meeting in 2023, and Yan ending Dvalishvili's bantamweight title reign this past December at UFC 323. All signs point to the fighters meeting in a trilogy bout later this year and Dvalishvili is just waiting for it to become official.

“Hopefully Petr will sign the contract,†Dvalishvili said. “I'm waiting for UFC announcement, waiting for when Petr will sign the contract, and UFC knows I've been ready since springtime and hopefully our trilogy fight happens soon. If later, I'm waiting patiently.â€

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MMA

Michael ‘Venom’ Page says 3 Misfits fights will pay more than 6 in UFC

Published

7 hours ago

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October 13, 2026

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Michael ‘Venom’ Page says 3 Misfits fights will pay more than 6 in UFC
Michael
“Venom” Page says his new deal will pay him more than he earned
during his
Ultimate Fighting Championship tenure.

Page had promised an exciting performance against Nursulton
Ruziboev in September, the final bout of his UFC contract. He
won by unanimous decision, but the promotion opted not to re-sign
him. The Englishman now says his move to Misfits Boxing will bring
a substantial increase in earnings.

Michael Page compares three-fight Misfits contract with
earnings from six UFC appearances

Page produced highlight-reel knockouts in Bellator,
but all six of his UFC appearances went the distance. He finished
5-1 in the promotion, with his only loss coming against Ian
Garry.

Page (26-3) said he received offers from several promotions before
signing with Misfits. He expects to earn more from the three-fight
agreement than he did from his six UFC bouts, describing his new
compensation as roughly double what he previously earned. He also
said Misfits intends to launch an MMA show with him as a leading
figure.

“Misfits came with an absolutely crazy deal, which means I’ve
continued to grow and get better financially,†Page told Ariel
Helwani. “They have vision for the future. They're trying to get an
MMA show going, with me kind of lead that way, be the face of that…
I’ve left the UFC and I’m making more money. Like two times more,
maybe just over, and in a shorter period. In a three-fight deal,
I’ll make more than I have my whole UFC contract.â€

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MMA

Alistair Overeem tells Rico Verhoeven to ‘stop hiding’, box him at Fury vs. Joshua card

Published

8 hours ago

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October 13, 2026

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Alistair Overeem tells Rico Verhoeven to ‘stop hiding’, box him at Fury vs. Joshua card

Alistair Overeem wants to be part of the Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua boxing card on Dec. 11, and he wants Rico Verhoeven standing across the squared circle.

Overeem shared a post on social media suggesting the bout after mentioning his interest in transitioning to boxing, and issued a callout on his Instagram stories.

“Stop hiding,†Overeem wrote. “Let's make history.â€

Fury vs. Joshua takes place at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, and airs live on Netfilx.

Verhoeven was part of a massive boxing show this past May in Egypt, where he lost via controversial 11th-round stoppage in his boxing debut against heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Prior to that match, Verhoeven remained undefeated in kickboxing for over a decade, reigning as the GLORY heavyweight champion. He was slated to face Overeem in 2021, but the MMA veteran withdrew due to an injury.

The former Strikeforce titleholder won four of his past six UFC bouts, all by knockout, between 2018 and 2021, including a first-round stoppage over Sergei Pavlovich. His UFC run also includes wins over former and future champions Fabricio Werdum, Frank Mir, Brock Lesnar, Junior dos Santos and Andrei Arlovski.

Watch more of Overeem's boxing journey below.

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MMA

Ismael Bonfim removed from UFC roster after gigantic weight miss

Published

1 day ago

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October 13, 2026

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Ismael Bonfim removed from UFC roster after gigantic weight miss
Ismael
Bonfim has been removed from the
Ultimate Fighting Championship roster.

Bonfim's UFC tenure ended after a loss to Francisco
Prado at
UFC Vegas 122 on Saturday. The Brazilian missed the non-title
lightweight limit by 7.5 pounds and forfeited 25% of his purse. He
then suffered a first-round technical knockout before being removed
from the roster.

Ismael Bonfim exits UFC with 2-5 record after third weight miss
and Francisco Prado TKO

This was Bonfim's third weight miss during his UFC tenure. He came
in 3.5 pounds overweight for a scheduled fight against Vinc Pichel
in 2023, prompting the bout's cancellation. Bonfim missed weight by
five pounds against Chris
Padilla last year and lost by knockout. He was finished in his
last four UFC appearances.

Before news of his departure, Bonfim posted a statement Sunday
reflecting on the loss. The 30-year-old thanked his supporters and
said his career was not over.

“Always grateful to God for life, health and every opportunity He
gives me,†Bonfim wrote on Instagram. “Everything doesn’t go as
planned, results don’t always come as desired, but my faith remains
unshakable. Because, above my plans, are God’s plans, and I choose
to trust, even when I don’t understand. Thank you to every person
cheering me on, praying for me and standing by my side no matter
the outcome. You are all part of my story! There are no excuses, no
shame, and much less reason to give up. We’ve come here the hardest
way, facing battles few know about, overcoming fears, breaking
barriers, and fighting against things that go far beyond what
happens inside an octagon. The result of a battle does not define
the value of a warrior, and defeat will never be able to erase the
entire history we have built. I keep my head held high, my heart at
peace and my faith even stronger. Because who knows where he came
from, everything he faced and how much he had to fight to get here,
doesn’t give up because of a result. My story doesn’t end here. God
is still writing the next chapters, and I trust Him completely. All
honor and all glory be given to God!â€

Bonfim earned a UFC contract on
Dana White's Contender Series in 2022 and won his promotional
debut with a flying knee knockout of Terrance
McKinney. He went 1-5 afterward, finishing his UFC tenure at
2-5.

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