No-2 ranked Umar Nurmagomedov was guaranteed a shot at newly crowned UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili, but he’s reportedly taking a fight against No-8 Song Yadong on December 14 in Tampa, per Red Corner.
It’s rare for any top contender with a guaranteed shot at a title to take another fight before they get their opportunity against the reigning champ.
The fight hasn’t been confirmed, but several outlets believe the report is valid. Nurmagomedov wants to fight Dvalishvili before Ramadan, which begins on February 28, 2025, and runs through March 30, 2025.
Nurmagomedov doesn’t want to risk being compromised during training while he fasts. However, the champion may not be ready to defend his title in December or January, meaning Nurmagomedov would likely need to wait until the second quarter of 2025 for his title shot.
If he beats Song in December, he could theoretically put himself in a position to fight Dvalishvili for the title in May or early June. However, there are two significant risks with this approach. First, while Nurmagomedov will be favored to defeat Song, no win is guaranteed. Song is a well-trained veteran of 20 professional fights, yet he’s still only 26 years old.
He’s athletic, with fast hands and solid boxing. If Nurmagomedov stays standing with Song, he’ll allow the tough Chinese fighter to upset him. Secondly, if Nurmagomedov waits until the second quarter of 2025, he could get leapfrogged by uber-popular former champion and current No. 1 contender Sean O’Malley.
Dvalishvili beat O’Malley for the title by unanimous decision on September 16 at Noche UFC. O’Malley contends he deserved the win. He’s wrong, but he’s been able to convince enough people that he’s right to create some doubt.
He is recovering from surgery to repair a torn labrum and could be ready to fight before or by the time Nurmagomedov is following Ramadan. The UFC wouldn’t be crazy to look to give O’Malley a chance to regain his title.
O’Malley is one of the most popular fighters in the promotion, and quite honestly, there’s probably more money for the promotion in a fight between him and Nurmagomedov than Dvalishvili and the Dagestani, who is Khabib Nurmagomedov’s cousin.
O’Malley has patterned his career after Conor McGregor, whose bitter rivalry with Khabib is one of the nastiest feuds in UFC history. O’Malley and the UFC would love to channel some of that energy.
We’ll wait to see if Nurmagomedov-Song is confirmed. If so, the bantamweight division will be exciting over the next six to eight months.
Other UFC News – UFC Vegas 99
The worldwide leader is back in Las Vegas on Saturday with a show at the UFC’s Apex in Las Vegas. By UFC Apex standards, this is a strong card.
In the main event, the polarizing Michel Pereira takes on Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez in a pivotal middleweight fight that could land the winner on a path toward a title shot. In the co-main event, the fast-rising Kyler Phillips faces veteran Rob Font in a bit of a litmus test for the former.
Phillips looks like a title contender, and this clash with Font will teach us something about both men.
The super-active Charles Johnson faces Sumudaerji, and to open the evening, the powerful but relatively one-dimensional and inexperienced Robelis Despaigne takes on former NFL player turned UFC heavyweight Austen Lane.
Here is a look at the entire card.
- Main Event – Anthony Hernandez vs. Michel Pereira
- Co-Main Event – Rob Font vs. Kyler Phillips
- Charles Johnson vs. Sumudaerji
- Jake Hadley vs. Cameron Smotherman
- Darren Elkins vs. Daniel Pineda
- Matheus Nicolau vs. Asu Almabayev
- Brad Katona vs. Jean Matsumoto
- Joselyne Edwards vs. Tamires Vidal
- Jessica Penne vs. Elise Reed
- Melissa Martinez vs. Alice Ardelean
- Austen Lane vs. Robelis Despaigne