Tag: Merab Dvalishvili

Cody Garbrandt: Merab Dvalishvili fight will test how legit UFC champ Sean O’Malley is

Cody Garbrandt isn’t too sold on UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley just yet.

[autotag]Cody Garbrandt[/autotag] isn’t too sold on UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] just yet.

O’Malley (18-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) defeated ex-champ Petr Yan to become No. 1 contender, knocked out Aljamain Sterling to become champion, and battered Marlon Vera in his first title defense.

However, Garbrandt (14-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) thinks there are a few asterisks that come with those wins.

“He didn’t beat Yan, so let’s be honest,” Garbrandt told MMA Junkie. “He was given that. The Aljo fight, I think Aljo just pushed, raced fast back to bantamweight. Those weight cuts took a toll on him. As a champion, they want to keep you busy. … (Sterling) came right in, right in front of him, sharp-shot him, caught him.

“So good on ‘Sugar’ Sean to be the champion, to beat Aljamain. Aljamain had a great run. The ‘Chito’ (Vera) fight was so-so for me. His first title defense, he went five rounds against a guy who gave him his first loss, but back story is ‘Chito’ didn’t have the best camp, was injured going in. Who knows?”

O’Malley is targeting [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC) for his next title defense. Garbrandt sees Dvalishvili as a test to prove if O’Malley is really that good.

“I think this Merab fight is going to be pretty interesting to see how legit ‘Sugar’ Sean is,” Garbrandt said. “Can he stuff takedowns? Can he go the distance in a higher-paced fight. ‘Chito’ didn’t try to take one takedown. This is mixed martial arts.”

Garbrandt meets Deiveson Figueiredo (22-3-1 MMA, 11-3-1 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 300 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) opener at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

Tim Welch: Merab Dvalishvili never fought someone like Sean O’Malley, ‘who can put your lights out, one punch’

Tim Welch thinks Sean O’Malley’s power will surprise Merab Dvalishvili.

Tim Welch thinks [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag]’s power will surprise [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag].

Bantamweight champion O’Malley (18-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) is targeting Dvalishvili (17-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC) for his next title defense – a matchup that his head coach Welch knows will be tough.

Dvalishvili was rocked badly in his finish over Marlon Moraes at UFC 266, and was stumbled in his most recent win over Henry Cejudo at UFC 298. But Welch says if O’Malley lands clean on Dvalishvili, it will be a different story. He sees O’Malley’s height posing problems.

“Merab is a serious tank,” Welch said on his YouTube channel. “(He has a) 10-fight win streak, and it’s against guys like this: John Dodson 5’2; Cody Stamann 5’2; Marlon Moraes 5’6; Jose Aldo, I think, what, 5’6, 5’7?; Petr Yan 5’2; Henry Cejudo is a clean 5’0. So it’s guys that are a little bit shorter than ‘Sugar.’

“Sean’s a solid 5’10, knows how to control the distance, loves when people load up on punches – and Merab loads up. It’s going to be an interesting fight. We’ve never fought no one like Merab. Obviously, he’s a machine and he’s not going to stop. But Merab’s never fought no one like ‘The Sugar Show’ who can put your lights out, one punch.”

(Tapology lists Dodson’s height as 5-foot-3, Stamann 5-foot-6, Moraes 5-foot-6, Aldo 5-foot-7, Yan 5-foot-7 and Cejudo 5-foot-4. The site lists O’Malley as 5-foot-11, as does UFC.com.)

O’Malley, who’s fresh off avenging his loss to Marlon Vera in the UFC 299 headliner earlier this month, wants to dismiss the notion he’s avoiding Dvalishvili. He initially called out featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, but quickly pivoted to the streaking Dvalishvili.

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Cory Sandhagen: UFC champ Sean O’Malley has ‘really good shot’ of finishing Merab Dvalishvili

Cory Sandhagen envisions UFC champ Sean O’Malley stopping Merab Dvalishvili.

[autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] envisions UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] stopping [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag].

O’Malley (18-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) announced that he’d like to fight Dvalishvili (17-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC) next to prove to everyone that he isn’t ducking the streaking contender.

Dvalishvili is a relentless grappler. He attempted a UFC record 49 takedowns in his win over Petr Yan and managed to take down Olympic gold medalist wrestler Henry Cejudo five times in a come-from-behind win at UFC 298. But with O’Malley’s precision and knockout power, Sandhagen wouldn’t be surprised if the champion was able to take out Dvalishvili.

“I think O’Malley has a really good shot at clipping Merab and finishing him,” Sandhagen said in an interview with Fanatics View. “That’s never really a good place to put all your eggs in a basket. That’s not a super reliable way to win. But, it’s reliable for O’Malley usually. So, I think if you have to start standing against O’Malley for five rounds and he’s that much better of a striker than Merab.

“Merab is a far superior wrestler and grappler than O’Malley is, but O’Malley is a far superior striker, so that makes it really interesting. Also just the style Merab has in grappling, he doesn’t really hold people down. He kind of lets them work back up and so if I was Merab, I would try and stick him to the mat and keep him there. If I was O’Malley, I would use that first minute of each round to really do what he did to Sterling and pinpoint, and missile this guy from a far. So, I can see O’Malley winning.”

Sandhagen (17-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) is angling for a fight against another high-level wrestler in undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov. The former interim title challenger hopes a win would lead to a shot at the winner of the projected matchup between O’Malley and Dvalishvili.

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Anatoly Malykhin hilariously explains why he’s gradually paying off $50K bet with Merab Dvalishvili

ONE’s triple champ Anatoly Malykhin hilariously explains why he’s slowly paying off his $50K bet to Merab Dvalishvili.

ONE’s triple champion [autotag]Anatoly Malykhin[/autotag] has a debt to pay to UFC title contender [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag], and claims he’s taking care of it – slowly.

A couple of years ago, Malykhin and Dvalishvili made a $50K bet on the UFC 273 bantamweight title rematch between Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan. Malykhin picked his fellow Russian countryman, Yan, while Dvalishvili believed his teammate Sterling would win.

Sterling won the fight, and ever since then, Dvalishvili has sporadically mentioned the bet during interviews or on social media because the debt has yet to be paid in full.

Dvalishvili vented his frustration about the bet during his media day interview last year before fighting Yan himself in the UFC Fight Night 221 headliner. The Georgian told reporters that he sent Malykhin multiple account numbers to transfer the money but had yet to receive anything. Aside from Yan telling his friend not to pay off the bet, Dvalishvili said he worked out a deal that money would start coming in after Malykhin fought for ONE again.

Well, according to Malykhin, he’s paying off the bet now, but little by little, to protect Dvalishvili from splurging or partying in Las Vegas.

“I lost a bet and every month I transfer $1-2,000 to cover it, let’s say like in installments,” Malykhin told MMA Junkie through an interpreter. “I don’t want to transfer the whole amount because what if he goes on a big spree, or he has like a huge party and gets wasted? Then his next performance would be jeopardized. So in reality, I’m just trying to show some care and love.”

“… What if he spends everything in one go? I want him to have a longer pleasure with it.”

You can check out the full interview with Malykhin in the video above.

UFC champ Sean O’Malley grants Merab Dvalishvili next title shot but warns him: ‘Careful what you wish for’

UFC bantamweight champ Sean O’Malley issues Merab Dvalishvili a warning – and is granting his wish.

UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] has issued [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] a warning – and is granting his wish.

Initially calling out featherweight champ Ilia Topuria, O’Malley (18-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) announced that his next title defense will be against the streaking Dvalishvili (17-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC), who’s been eager to fight him.

O’Malley wants to dismiss the notion that he’s avoiding the relentless grappler and actually thinks it’s a good stylistic matchup. Dvalishvili attempted a UFC record 49 takedowns in his lopsided win over Petr Yan in March 2023.

“Merab is f*cking next. His wish is granted,” O’Malley said on his “TimboSugarShow” podcast. “A lot of people said I’m ducking him. I just really am not ducking that little dude. I like the fight for me. There’s multiple ways to win. I’m excited about the fight now finally.

“I was never ducking him. I was just never excited to fight him. Now, is it the right time? Just like the ‘Chito’ rematch. Like, the time will come to where it’s the right time to fight certain people. Merab’s next, and careful what you wish for, buddy. Careful what you wish for.”

O’Malley notched his first title defense when he avenged his loss to Marlon Vera by putting on a striking masterclass in the UFC 299 headliner earlier this month. Meanwhile, Dvalishvili is on a 10-fight winning streak, most recently rallying to outlast former two-division champ Henry Cejudo at UFC 298.

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Sean O’Malley’s coach: Merab Dvalishvili deserves UFC title shot, ‘getting ready for a problem like that will be fun’

Tim Welch considers Merab Dvalishvili most deserving of a shot at UFC bantamweight champ Sean O’Malley and welcomes the challenge.

Tim Welch sees [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] as the most deserving for a shot at UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag].

O’Malley (18-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) called out featherweight champ Ilia Topuria after retaining his title against Marlon Vera earlier this month at UFC 299. The callout upset Dvalishvili, who’s on a 10-fight winning streak and fresh off a win over Henry Cejudo.

O’Malley later said he’s willing to face Dvalishvili (17-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC) next, and his head coach, Welch, thinks it’s the fight to make.

“Both the fights are just so scary,” Welch said on the “MIGHTYcast” podcast. “Fight Ilia, you make a mistake with Ilia, you’re going to lay there flat on your back unconscious. Merab, it’s like he’s five rounds. He’s going to come in there, and he’s not going to be afraid to try to cover the distance and shoot like we said.

“I think they’re both just such huge problems, but I think Merab. I think Merab deserves it. He’s won 10 fights in a row, 10 fights in a row in the UFC. Getting ready for a problem like that will be fun, and if we can knock him flat and turn his nose sideways, that’ll feel good.”

Welch acknowledges that Dvalishvili’s danger comes from his heart and cardio. He sees O’Malley having his way on the feet, but doesn’t expect Dvalishvili to cave.

“I think Merab’s the type to have the balls to just say, ‘F*ck it, go, I’m going no matter what, I don’t care,'” Welch said. “He probably will get cracked hard coming in. We’ll see if he can wear it, but he is that type to just say, ‘F*ck it’ and go.”

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Sean O’Malley calls for Merab Dvalishvili, who responds to the UFC champion’s 2025 timeline

Sean O’Malley calls out Merab Dvalishvili for his next UFC bantamweight title defense, but in 2025?

It looks like [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] has warmed up to the idea of fighting [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag], sort of.

The UFC bantamweight champion took to X on Friday to say that he’s fighting Dvalishvili, who’s the clear No. 1 contender in the division. However, the champion mentioned 2025 as the year, which prompted a lot of feedback, including from Dvalishvili, who seemed to be more concerned about the spelling of his name than the proposed timeline.

“I WANT MARAB. 2025 will be legendary,” O’Malley wrote on X.

“I have been waiting for this callout for 7 years..but who is Marab???” Dvalishvili later replied on X. “Dude .. review my name lessons I gave Henry…MERAB! And guess you need another year to prepare for the machine.”

Both O’Malley (18-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) and Dvalishvili (17-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC) recently fought and won.

Dvalishvili competed at UFC 298 in February when he defeated former champion Henry Cejudo in a unanimous decision. The victory extended Dvalishvili’s winning streak to 10 in a row.

On the other hand, O’Malley defended his UFC bantamweight title for the very first time this past Saturday in the main event of UFC 299 in Miami. He defeated Marlon Vera to avenge his only professional loss on his record. Dvalishvili was present for the event, as he was the back-up opponent for the title fight.

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Merab Dvalishvili explains why linking Umar Nurmagomedov to UFC title shot is ‘very disrespectful’

Merab Dvalishvili doesn’t think Umar Nurmagomedov deserves to be in the UFC bantamweight title picture just yet.

[autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] doesn’t think [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] deserves to be in the UFC bantamweight title picture just yet.

Nurmagomedov (17-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) called for his previously scrapped booking with Cory Sandhagen to be rescheduled after defeating newcomer Bekzat Almakhan at UFC Fight Night 238 earlier this month.

Dvalishvili (17-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC), who’s a riding a 10-fight winning streak, would have rather seen Nurmagomedov climb the ladder like he had to. He thinks it’s way too early for Nurmagomedov to be in those title conversations.

“There is a guy from Dagestan, he’s a good fighter, but he fight nobody,” Dvalishvili told MMA Junkie. “He fought somebody from debut, and now he wants to fight for the belt. It’s not how it works. I think it’s very disrespectful. There are other guys who have a long winning streak, and he should fight them.

“And then fight somebody in the top 10, then top five, and then belt. You fight nobody, and now you want to fight for the belt? He’s a good guy, I like him, I respect him, but he’s talking trash about myself, talking trash to everybody. He’s calling top guys. He’s a good fighter, but come on, bro. You got to fight somebody good.”

Dvalishvili was dubbed as No. 1 contender after defeating former two-division champion Henry Cejudo at UFC 298. Nurmagomedov is undefeated, but Dvalishvili says it’s been tough to gauge how good he really is.

“Who knows if you’re a good fighter or no? You haven’t been tested yet,” Dvalishvili continued. “You fought a debut guy. Come on.”

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5 biggest takeaways from UFC 299: Time for Sean O’Malley to do right by bantamweight division

Analysis of the biggest storylines coming out of UFC 299, including Sean O’Malley, Dustin Poirier, Michael Page and more.

What mattered most at UFC 299 at Kaseya Center in Miami? Here are a few post-fight musings.

* * * *

[autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] put himself back in the heavyweight contender title mix when he hammerfisted Jailton Almeida’s head into next week for a second-round TKO after get stifled by the Brazilian’s grappling in the first frame.

Blaydes (18-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) called for a rematch with interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall after his triumph, and it was pretty well received. Why? Because it makes sense given the messy state of the weight class at the moment.

We know the deal. We’re all waiting for Jon Jones to return from injury to fight Stipe Miocic. Aspinall has been annoyed by the situation, but has seemingly opened up to the idea of defending the interim belt while Jones and Miocic handle their business.

The problem with that, however, is there wasn’t a completely sensible opponent for him to face. Until now. Blaydes hold a 15-second TKO win over Aspinall from July 2022, but it came as the result of an injury when Aspinall blew out his knee just seconds into the UFC Fight Night 208 main event in London.

It’s always seemed logical to run that fight back, and now with Blaydes getting the emphatic win, it’s a good idea. And Aspinall agrees, as he stated on social media after the event (via X):

[autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] got the most crucial win of his career when he outworked Song Yadong for a unanimous decision to snap his three-fight losing streak.

The former UFC bantamweight champion Yan (17-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC) needed this one in the worst of ways. Many people, myself included, thought Yan was going to be a long-reigning champion when he won the belt. But it just got weird afterward, starting with becoming the first fighter in UFC history to lose a title by disqualification when he landed an illegal knee on Aljamain Sterling in March 2021.

There’s an argument to be made that Yan should have beaten Sean O’Malley in October 2022. He got thwarted by Merab Dvalishvili – like everyone does – but in this fight against Song he showed he’s still very relevant at 135 pounds.

Yan needs another top-ranked contender next. If he can win that and get some momentum, then look out.

Former Bellator title challenger [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] delivered in his debut with a unanimous decision win over Kevin Holland, proving many naysayers wrong that his unique style wouldn’t translate to the UFC level.

Holland largely was a willing participant in letting Page (22-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) style on him. That won’t be the case for many other welterweights in the promotion, but at minimum, “MVP” earned the chance to fight them.

At 37, it’s hard to think Page can make a legitimate title run. However, he does have an advantage if Leon Edwards continues to reign in that a fight between them would be huge in the U.K. He’s going to need a couple more wins, though, or some extreme luck to break his way.

[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] showed he’s still an elite lightweight contender when he stifled the rise of Benoit Saint Denis with a classic fight and second-round knockout finish in the co-main event.

Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) took a huge risk in accepting the matchup with Saint Denis, which is the type of fight many accused him of never being willing to take. It looked like a bad idea to start, but Poirier’s boxing once again came through for him as he survived the storm and put the lights out on Saint Denis.

The result adds to Poirier’s many records, and keeps him in the mix for a 155-pound title shot. At this point, he’s not more deserving than Justin Gaethje if he beats Max Holloway, or the winner of Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan – both of which take place at UFC 300 on April 13. But if some reason things don’t line up right for other contenders, or the timeline somehow shifts in his favor, it’s not impossible he could find himself in another championship opportunity sooner rather than later.

[autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] got what he wanted for his first title defense in avenging his lone career loss against Marlon Vera by unanimous decision.

All due to respect to “Chito,” but he wasn’t the most deserving title challenger. It’s totally understandable why the fight happened from O’Malley (18-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC), Vera and the UFC’s angle. The storyline of this rematch was juicer than anything else that could be done in the bantamweight division given the result of the first meeting, and it’s impossible to know when it would be at least logical to put it together any other time.

The outcome was a completely uncompetitive fight, though, and now it’s time to get serious.

We should all be happy O’Malley’s callout of featherweight champion Ilia Topuria for UFC’s debut in Spain seemingly fell on deaf ears with UFC CEO Dana White. That means it’s time to give a rightful challenger a shot at the belt, and that would be [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag].

With 10 straight wins and a style that’s seemingly a huge nightmare for O’Malley, a showdown with Dvalishvili (17-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC is the most intriguing championship bout that can be made at 135 pounds. There shouldn’t be a slight consideration given to anything else, and if the UFC goes any other direction for O’Malley’s next fight, it would be a massive injustice.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.

Ilia Topuria rejects Sean O’Malley’s post-UFC 299 callout, says to fight Merab Dvalishvili first

Ilia Topuria is open to a future champion-vs-champion showdown with Sean O’Malley, but not just yet.

[autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] is open to a future champion-vs-champion showdown with [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag], but not just yet.

After O’Malley (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) defended his bantamweight title for the first time with a unanimous decision win over Marlon Vera in Saturday’s UFC 299 headliner at Kaseya Center in Miami, he called out featherweight titleholder Topuria, who captured the belt with a second-round knockout of Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 in February.

O’Malley (18-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) said the matchup intrigues him, and certainly more so than the next top contender at 135 pounds, [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag].

Dvalishvili (17-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC) is riding a 10-fight winning streak and has been given previous assurances of a title shot next. Topuria could step in the way of his fellow Georgian by leaning into the callout from O’Malley, but he is going the other direction and said the time isn’t right (via X):

Suga, congrats.. Was a beautiful performance! There is a fight chasing you with Merab.. Get that done first .

It’s unclear whom Topuria will fight for his first title defense at 145 pounds, but there’s a good chance it will take place in Spain. UFC CEO Dana White expressed interest in bringing the promotion to the country for the first time after Topuria’s win over Volkanovski.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.