Can Merab Dvalishvili continue his momentum?
It’s all happening at bantamweight right now, so the time couldn’t be better for [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] to make a statement of his own at 135 pounds.
The New York-based Georgian takes on Combate Americas champion Gustavo Lopez, who signed with the UFC after Ray Borg withdrew from the bout Thursday.
Dvalishvili (10-4 MMA, 3-2 UFC) lost his first two fights under the UFC banner to Frankie Saenz and Ricky Simon, but has since rallied and heads into Saturday’s fight riding a three-fight winning streak.
His wins over Terrion Ware, Brad Katona and Casey Kenney all came on the scorecards, and while a fourth decision win would keep his career trending in the right direction, he needs a finish to deliver a statement to the matchmakers ahead of the summer schedule.
Can “The Machine” do it inside the distance? If he can, top 15 opposition might well be next.