“Steroids don’t give heart” – Conor McGregor camp hits out at Umar Nurmagomedov after Coach Khabib faces huge defeat

Umar Nurmagomedov's defeat against Merab Dvalishvili sparks massive criticisms for his cousin and coach Khabib Nurmagomedov.

“Steroids don’t give heart” – Conor McGregor camp hits out at Umar Nurmagomedov after Coach Khabib faces huge defeat

Merab Dvalishvili defeats Umar Nurmagomedov and ignites criticisms against Khabib Nurmagomedov (Image via UFC/Imago)

The Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, was the venue for the first pay-per-view event (UFC 311) of the UFC in 2025. The fight card included two championship bouts: the UFC lightweight title and the UFC bantamweight title. Merab Dvalishvili, the reigning UFC bantamweight champion, defended his belt for the first time against the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov, who presented a formidable challenge.

This matchup was highly anticipated fights on the card for one major reason. Interestingly, Merab Dvalishvili had remained the target of significant criticism from Umar Nurmagomedov. The ‘Young Eagle’ consistently dismissed Dvalishvili as a legitimate champion in the UFC bantamweight division. In response to this, the Georgian fighter vowed to teach the Dagestani fighter a lesson in humility.

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Interestingly, Nurmagomedov started the fight very strongly with an aggressive stance against Dvalishvili. However, the UFC community is well aware of the Georgian fighter’s endless cardio, which he showcased throughout the match. Dvalishvili began to dominate from the third round and continued his control until the end of the fifth round.

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Feeling confident about the outcome leaning in his favor, the champion even engaged in a bit of showboating during the last few seconds of the fight. With that, Dvalishvili retained his UFC bantamweight crown by defending it against Nurmagomedov.

As for the ‘Young Eagle’, it was an end to his perfect UFC career record. However, in the aftermath of that, there was a flurry of criticism coming in Team Khabib’s way. It came from fighters associated with a known rival of Team Khabib.

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Team Khabib faces backlash after Umar Nurmagomedov’s defeat against Merab Dvalishvili

Umar Nurmagomedov hails from a prominent lineage of MMA fighters in Dagestan. He is notably the cousin of former undisputed UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and trains under his guidance. Recently, Khabib has expressed particular admiration for his Dagestani MMA fighters, highlighting their exceptional talents within the community.

Merab Dvalishvili dominated Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311
Merab Dvalishvili dominated Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 (Image via UFC)

After Umar Nurmagomedov’s defeat to Merab Dvalishvili, Team Khabib faced significant backlash from netizens. Many in the fight fan community, particularly Conor McGregor’s fan base and teammates, criticized the Dagestani fighters in response. Check out some of the reactions below.

Many fight fans criticized Khabib Nurmagomedov’s corner work during the event. In contrast, others praised Dvalishvili for successfully neutralizing the Dagestani threat by defeating Umar Nurmagomedov decisively.

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However, the ‘Young Eagle’ claimed that he broke his hand in the first round of the fight, which made it difficult for him to compete against the champion. Now, it will be interesting to see how Umar bounces back from the first defeat of his career.

Related: Merab Dvalishvili Net Worth, Endorsements, UFC contract, Girlfriend and House