UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili revealed he had some cuts on his shin before his title defense, but he was able to blindside the athletic commission and fought regardless of the injury.
The champ co-headlined the UFC 311 tournament, where he faced Umar Nurmagomedov. Dvalishvili put on an impressive fight with his relentless pace and careful jabs, which earned him a unanimous decision victory in the end. The Georgian was able to retain his title and stay in the fight despite suffering deep cuts on his leg weeks before the fight.
He says the injury got infected, but he was determined to step into the octagon and face Nurmagomedov against all odds. In a sit down with Ariel Helwani on Uncrowned, “The Machine” spoke about how he was able to sneak in without the medical professionals uncovering his injuries.
“I was doing cardio training on the stairs and I hit the stairs with my chin. The cut was still open and it was taking so long to heal up, and it finally closed now in fight week,” he continued. “I was worried the commission was not going to let me fight. I was doing everything, putting creams every day, doing massage, and all the therapies, and actually California has a very strict commission. They checked everything, my body, and Thursday, I had pants on, and the commission asked me to show him my leg, my shin. I lifted my left leg pants and showed him the chin and he kept talking, the second time he asked me to show him my other leg, I showed again left leg and he didn’t know there was a cut.
“Who knows? Maybe I can pass. But I was worried. It looks fresh, but it’s been a longtime cut.”
Despite his deception, the champ is thrilled with the outcome of the fight as he remains the title hold and extends his reign until another worthy contender comes along.
