In a surprise twist, Umar Nurmagomedov vs Song Yadong has been announced for the main event of UFC Tampa Bay.
It was previously assumed that Umar Nurmagomedov would be fighting for the title against Merab Dvalishvili next after defeating top contender Cory Sandhagen earlier this year. The only other candidate, Deiveson Figueiredo, was booked for a bout with Petr Yan, making this announcement a surprise.
Umar has been criticized in the past for avoiding tough matchups, but nobody can claim that now, as Yadong is one of the best strikers in the division and probably the most powerful hitter Nurmagomedov will have fought, as well as possessing elite-level takedown defense.
Speculation will run rampant as to what this means for the division. One possibility is that Merab Dvalishvili’s recent call outs of Sean O’Malley for a rematch could come to fruition
It could also be that ‘The Machine’ just means to sit on the sideline and wait, he previously said he may wait until February or March to make his first defense of his 135-lb title.
Umar Nurmagomedov – cousin of one of the greatest ever, Khabib Nurmagomedov – slammed Dvalishvili in response, saying that the champion is scared. The timeline Merab gave coincides exactly with Ramadan. Umar is a devout Muslim, making the situation more complicated.
Either way, it is somewhat unfortunate for the bantamweight division. One would like to see the most talented and exciting division move forward; stagnation is never fun.
There is some solace to be found, however, in the fact that Nurmagomedov vs Yadong is an incredible fight which will be a treat for the fans in Tampa Bay which just had to deal with the horrible storms which devastated much of the city.
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