The Secret Injury: Umar Nurmagomedov’s Hidden Hand Break

Umar Nurmagomedov’s coach, Javier Mendez, recently revealed a surprising fact about the UFC 311 fight. Nurmagomedov broke his hand in the first round of his title bout against Merab Dvalishvili but kept it a secret from his team. This hidden injury may have influenced the fight's outcome. Nurmagomedov started strong, winning the first two rounds according to two judges. However, he began to rely more on grappling than striking, which was unusual. Mendez later found out that Nurmagomedov had a broken hand and hadn’t shared this crucial information.

“If we’d known, we would have changed our strategy, ” Mendez said. “Khabib and I could have adjusted the game plan, but we didn’t know. Umar is a true warrior for not telling us. ” Mendez added that they would have focused more on kicks to keep Dvalishvili at a distance. Dvalishvili’s coach, John Wood, also shared that his fighter faced challenges before the fight. Dvalishvili suffered leg injuries requiring 27 stitches and had a pinched nerve in his back.

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