Nurmagomedov suffered the first loss of his professional career
when Dvalishvili defeated him by unanimous decision in January last
year in their
Ultimate Fighting Championship title bout. The Russian is eager
to run it back with “The Machine†and wants to fight him next,
regardless of the outcome of the latter’s
UFC 333 title fight against Petr Yan.

Umar Nurmagomedov wants revenge against Merab Dvalishvili after
facing Yadong Song at UFC Shanghai

The tension between Nurmagomedov and Dvalishvili has only grown
since their first meeting. The former is set to face Yadong Song
at
UFC Shanghai on Aug. 29, and while he's focused on his upcoming
bout, the Dagestani wants revenge for his loss to the former
champ.

“First of all, of course I have to win this fight,†Nurmagomedov
told MMA Junkie. “Then I will fight with Merab, if he will win or
if he will lose, I think we’re going to fight.â€

Dvalishvili notably questioned whether Nurmagomedov had earned a
title shot in the first place before their clash and has repeatedly
pointed to favoritism aiding the Russian, with Umar being the
cousin of UFC Hall of Famer Khabib
Nurmagomedov.

The rivalry took another turn after Dvalishvili was involved in an
altercation with Nurmagomedov’s friend, Ahmed Gadzhimagomedov, at a
recent Real American Freestyle event in Georgia. When asked if
their feud is personal, Nurmagomedov confirmed the same.

“Is it personal? I think yes,†Nurmagomedov continued. “Already
yes. Now it’s personal. Now it’s personal not just for me. It’s
personal for all of Dagestan.â€

Dana White's Contender Series outing against Bella
Mir.

Apodaca (5-1) took on Mir (4-1), daughter of former
Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder Frank Mir, in a
bantamweight tilt on
Week 3 of DWCS 2026. Mir was a -6000 favorite, the biggest in
DWCS history, going into her clash against Apodaca, a +1200
underdog.

However, it was clear that the odds were off as soon as Apodaca
defended the first takedown.

Alex Apodaca earned a UFC contract after beating Bella Mir in
the biggest upset in DWCS history

Apodaca gave Mir all she could handle in a highly competitive
affair, establishing control in the final round to earn a unanimous
decision victory. The former earned a UFC contract for the biggest
upset in DWCS history, and after the bout, she revealed that she
avoided looking at the odds to stay focused on the high-profile
matchup.

“I didn’t want to look at the odds before; I knew they were some
bullsh*t,†Apodaca said in her post-fight interview. “I just truly
believe if I stay present and in the moment that I can see
everything and nobody is going to beat me. Cause I’m pretty
technical, and I’m strong as f*ck.â€

Notably, while giving Apodaca the contract, UFC CEO Dana
White admitted that he was heavily biased towards Mir, having
been involved in the latter's combat sports career.

The
Dana White's Contender Series Season 10
Week 1 contract winner has been booked to face Nick Klein
at a UFC
Fight Night on Oct. 31 at Meta Apex in Las Vegas.

Joseph Kropschot faces Nick Klein at UFC Fight Night on Oct.
31

Kropschot earned his UFC contract on Aug. 11, defeating Jonathan
Kunneman by unanimous decision after three rounds on the
opening episode of the 2026 Contender Series season. He boasts a
9-3 professional record in mixed martial arts and has won his last
five fights. His contract-winning effort on DWCS marks the lone
decision win of his career.

Meanwhile, Klein owns a 6-3 professional record and has not
competed since a technical knockout loss to Andrey
Pulyaev in August 2025. He lost to Mansur
Abdul-Malik in his UFC debut after earning a contract on DWCS
in 2024.

The upcoming matchup gives Kropschot an opportunity to build on his
Contender Series debut and officially begin his UFC tenure. For
Klein, it offers a chance to snap a two-fight losing streak and
record his first win in the UFC.