Overview
- Nurmagomedov defeated Mario Bautista by unanimous decision at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi, returning to the win column nine months after losing to Merab Dvalishvili.
- He acknowledged Bautista’s near heel hook and said a knee scare reflected a habit he plans to correct by stepping back rather than dipping.
- The victory elevated Nurmagomedov to the bantamweight No. 1 ranking, positioning him for a potential rematch pending the outcome of Dvalishvili vs. Petr Yan on December 6 at UFC 323.
- Former champion TJ Dillashaw reiterated that Nurmagomedov should train with strength and conditioning coach Sam Calavitta to close a perceived cardio gap exposed by opponents like Bautista and Dvalishvili.
- Calavitta drew recent notice for work credited in media with Khamzat Chimaev ahead of UFC 319, a connection cited by proponents of a revamped program for Nurmagomedov.