Fans are well aware of the rivalry between Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov. The two met at UFC 311 in a thrilling bantamweight title fight, with the Georgian rallying after dropping the first two rounds to secure the win. Since then, their rivalry has become increasingly personal, with Dvalishvili even admitting that Nurmagomedov and his associate Rizvan Magomedov are the only two Dagestanis he hates.
However, it now appears that Islam Makhachev has also found himself caught in the middle of the situation. The reigning welterweight champion recently fired back at Dvalishvili over his comments about Makhachev’s UFC 330 celebrations after beating Ian Machado Garry in Philadelphia.
During his post-fight celebration, Makhachev posed with two UFC belts and raised the Russian flag inside the Octagon. This drew criticism from Dvalishvili, who questioned why Makhachev was allowed to bring the Russian flag into the Octagon while he has never been allowed to take the Georgian or American flag with him for his UFC title fights.
That restriction is one of the reasons Dvalishvili has the Georgian flag tattooed across his chest, as he has been unable to physically bring the flag into the cage. Makhachev has now responded to Dvalishvili’s comments, claiming that the former bantamweight champion has always been jealous of his success in the sport.
Speaking to reporters in Dagestan, he said: “Yeah, I saw his reaction. I saw the video of him watching the fight. From the very beginning he wasn’t happy at all about my success in the Octagon, but I don’t pay attention to things like that. He’s already spoken about this many times.”
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Makhachev then appeared to take another shot at “The Machine” ahead of his trilogy bout with Petr Yan at UFC 333. “But Petr Yan, after beating him and raising the flag in the Octagon, I think he’ll beat him again now and finally make him shut up.”
Dvalishvili has now responded and made it clear that he does not consider Makhachev a rival. In a video posted on his Instagram account, the former bantamweight champion explained that his comments were never directed at Makhachev personally.
He started with, “I like Islam Makhachev. I think he’s a great and humble champion. I respect all the hard work he has put into his career, I have nothing but respect for him. I congratulated Islam after the fight. I also congratulated him on my social media.”
Dvalishvili then explained why seeing the Russian flag inside the Octagon upset him. “But when I saw his team bring the Russian flag into the Octagon, I was upset. And the reason I reacted that way is because, first, during all five of my UFC title fights, I was never allowed to bring my Georgian and American flag into the cage. I also want to make one thing very clear: I don’t hate Russian people. I hate Russian politics and Russian government.”
“The Machine” went on to discuss the complicated history between Georgia and Russia, pointing to Russia’s occupation and its impact on the Georgian population, as well as the ongoing war in Ukraine. “My problem is with the government and its action, not with ordinary Russian people.”
Dvalishvili continued: “Russia occupies around 20 percent of Georgia, and there has been history of war, occupation, suffering against my Georgian people. Russia has also been responsible for terrible violence in Chechnya, and they are still killing people in Ukraine.”
I like Islam Makhachev. I think he’s a great and humble champion. I respect all the hard work he has put into his career, I have nothing but respect for him.
But when I saw his team bring the Russian flag into the Octagon, I was upset. And the reason I reacted that way is… pic.twitter.com/sdUd8fsr97— Merab “The Machine” Dvalishvili (@MerabDvalishvil) August 26, 2026
He also accused Russian media of misrepresenting his comments and creating a narrative around his words. “The Russian media is always asking me provocative questions, but they will never translate this video honestly or show what I’m actually saying, because it doesn’t fit the narrative they want to create. Reality is the Russian government is dictator and corruption. There is no freedom of speech, and if you protest anything in Russia, you go to jail. This is the facts.”
Dvalishvili once again stressed that his comments were never meant to create a personal rivalry with Makhachev. Instead, he said his issue was with Russian government policies and not the people of the Caucasus.
He concluded with, “And for me, the people of the Caucasus—Dagestan, Chechnya, Ingushetia, and other parts of the region—have their own identities, cultures, and histories. I respect the people of the Caucasus. So again, this was never about Islam personally.”
With Dvalishvili now set to face Petr Yan for a third time at UFC 333 on October 24 in Abu Dhabi, it remains to be seen whether Makhachev accepts his explanation or if the comments lead to further back-and-forth between the two fighters.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
