Merab Dvalishvili is frustrated by Sean O’Malley‘s attempt to duck the bantamweight division’s top-ranked fighters in favor of a rematch with Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera.
In August, O’Malley went from standout to superstar when he scored a highlight-reel-worthy second-round knockout against Aljmain Sterling to claim the UFC’s bantamweight world title. Speaking with Ariel Helwani on Wednesday’s edition of The MMA Hour, Dvalishvili, a close friend of Sterling, spoke about the former champ’s stunning loss, suggesting that the ‘Funk Master’ fell only after he tried to make an exciting fight for fans in Boston rather than playing it safe as he did against previous opponents like Petr Yan and Henry Cejudo.
“I was 1000% sure Aljo was going to win this fight because we all know styles make fights and I know Aljo’s style and I know O’Malley’s style,” Dvalishvili said. “Aljo was in such good shape and I knew that if Aljo grabbed O’Malley, it would make him tired and that’s going to be Aljo’s game. Even Aljo can beat him in striking if he’s smart. Aljo’s last couple of fights, he was fighting smart. He wasn’t taking any risks.
“For example, he beat Petr Yan in the first three rounds and he took no more risks after that. Same thing with Henry Cejudo. Last couple of rounds, Aljo took no risks, but with O’Malley, Aljo won the first round and O’Malley kept running back and people started booing. Aljo made the decision to make an exciting fight and Aljo chose to [throw] a punch and Aljo made a mistake. That’s when O’Malley threw his right hand. That was heartbreaking.”
Merab talks Sterling/O'Malley#TheMMAHour pic.twitter.com/mwxU8VjopU
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) October 4, 2023
Merab Dvalishvili Says ‘Chito’ Vera Doesn’t Deserve a Title Shot
Immediately following his big win, O’Malley called for a rematch with the only man to have beaten him inside the Octagon, Marlon Vera. ‘Chito’ got back into the win column just hours before, scoring a unanimous decision win over Pedro Munhoz.
But with Vera just then bouncing back from a loss against Cory Sandhagen earlier this year, Merab Dvalishvili can’t fathom how the UFC would grant O’Malley his wish instead of making the new champ fight a much more deserving contender, like himself.
“This is number one bullsh*t, man,” Dvalishvili said of Vera’s proposed title opportunity. “‘Chito’ Vera is 1-1 and he beat a guy (Pedro Munhoz) who in his last eight fights has two wins. I respect the guy he beat last time, but he’s 1-1 now. He’s ranked sixth. I beat Jose Aldo and Jose Aldo beat ‘Chito’ Vera. ‘Chito’ Vera don’t deserve this.”
He continued, “It doesn’t make sense. You are on top of the world. You’re the champion and you’re calling out the number six guy, especially when you have a guy like me. I have a nine-fight win streak and I beat two former champions. I had 10-8 rounds against Petr Yan. If O’Malley wants a real opponent, a real contender, and respect, he has to fight me. I’m not saying I’m going to beat him easy. O’Malley is a challenge for me, but I have been calling him out since 2018 because he’s popular. He’s a superstar. Now he’s the champion and I want to fight him.
“I always want to challenge myself. I want to fight the guys who are the challenges and if it’s not a rematch [with Aljo], then I am the next guy. I’m ready, I’m healthy, and I’m gonna fight. And that’s it. I don’t see why they shouldn’t give me this fight.”
Merab on Marlon Vera potentially getting the next title shot: Ariel, this is number one bullshit, man.#TheMMAHour pic.twitter.com/bb5A27qbjE
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) October 4, 2023
If the UFC does move forward with O’Malley vs. Vera 2, ‘The Machine’ hopes that, at the very least, he will be the official backup for the title tilt.
“If they really make this fight, they should at least put me as the backup fighter,” Dvalishvili added.
Merab: If they really, really make this fight at least they put me as a back up fighter.#TheMMAHour pic.twitter.com/k7KyNsovad
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) October 4, 2023
Originally, Sean O’Malley was looking to defend his title at UFC 296 in December, but with that fight card beginning to take shape, it now looks as though ‘Sugar’ will focus on making his return to the Octagon in early 2024. No official announcements have been made, but the likeliest scenarios will see O’Malley defending his title against Vera, Dvalishvili, or running back his UFC 292 scrap with Aljamain Sterling.
Which fight makes the most sense to you?
Watch the full MMA Hour interview below:
