Khabib Nurmagomedov has offered his support to his cousin, Umar Nurmagomedov. The latter suffered his first career loss at UFC 311 against the UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili. In what was a back-and-forth war from start to finish, Dvalishvili dominated over the final three rounds to earn a unanimous decision win. In the process, he also retained his title.

Both fighters displayed a masterclass in technique, grit, and relentless energy. Despite being able to test Dvalishvili’s endurance with sharp counterstrikes and body kicks, Nurmagomedov was kept on high alert with the champion’s constant pressure and takedown attempts.

Umar Nurmagomedov showcased impressive defense and maintained composure in close exchanges. However, Dvalishvili managed to get the better of him in the later rounds, as he upped the pace and landed crucial strikes.

It was a close matchup and Nurmagomedov certainly has a lot to learn from what was just his second five-round fight in the UFC. Reacting to his cousin's first professional loss, Khabib Nurmagomedov took to social media to offer words of encouragement.

“@umar_nurmagomedov keep your head up, junior. Yesterday you showed that you are one of the best in the world,” said Khabib Nurmagomedov. “At the moment we have a lot to work on. We will work on our mistakes and return to the title race.”

Unfortunately for Umar Nurmagomedov, he also broke his hand in the very first round of the fight. While this affected his performance in the later rounds, he still managed to keep the fight close. Following the fight, Nurmagomedov’s manager Ali Abdelaziz shared a nasty image of the contender's left hand after leaving the octagon at UFC 311.

“[Umar] broke his hands first round no excuse no excuse Alhamdulillah for everything,” Abdelaziz posted. As of this writing, he hasn’t been officially diagnosed with a broken hand by the UFC’s medical staff, but an update can be expected in the coming days.

That said, Nurmagomedov will most likely be out of action for a while after suffering an injury in his bout at UFC 311. Upon his return, we can expect him to make another run for the title.