Merab Dvalishvili wants back-up duty in Miami.
Next up on pay-per-view is UFC 299, where the bantamweight title is on the line between champion Sean O’Malley and #5 contender Chito Vera in the main event. The rivals square off in a long-awaited rematch from their 2020 encounter that saw O’Malley lying on the canvas, aching in pain with an ankle injury.
Hot on the heels of the upcoming title fight is Dvalishvili. ‘The Machine’ is streaking with 10 straight wins in the Octagon and will more than likely fight for the belt upon his return after beating three former champions in Henry Cejudo, Petr Yan and Jose Aldo.
UFC 299’s Lifeguard On Deck?
Dvalishvili is eager to fight again after winning at UFC 298, but he may have to wait a while for the champion to come back, whoever that may be on the night of Mar. 9. Of course, the Georgian wouldn’t say no to a potential back-up opportunity for O’Malley vs. Vera.
“Hopefully, next fight will be soon,” Dvalishvili said on Demetrious Johnson’s ‘Mighty Cast‘. “I’m even willing to be back-up fighter as Chito Vera and O’Malley, because I feel good. I feel confident. Even I know that I have a guarantee [for] the title fight, it’s not right idea to risk myself and without like a long training camp. If something happened, this short-notice fight or be back-up fighter, I’m still willing. I do always what I feel, and I feel that I would like to be back-up fighter if they need me.
‘Let’s Talk About O’Malley’
Short-notice or full fight camp, O’Malley or Vera, it doesn’t matter too much for the relentless Merab Dvalishvili. He believes he’ll be a champion some day and already foresees a path to doing so.
“Let’s talk about O’Malley. I see him as a dangerous opponent because he has good footwork. He has knockout power. He has a very strong right hand, and he has good timing. I see him as a dangerous fighter and once he win contender series and once I saw him in UFC, I wanted to fight him because I wanna challenge myself, and I still looking that way. I think I should keep smart, just patient, keep a strike, and just wait to my time to shoot.
If he defends and let him go, and I’m gonna shoot again, and then maybe make him slow, make him tired, and actually, I will take him down,” Dvalishvili said of how he beats O’Malley.
Merab Dvalishvili’s Assessment Of Chito Vera
As for Vera, Dvalishvili admits he hasn’t done ALL of his homework on the Ecuadorian volume-puncher, but he eventually will… especially if Vera reigns victorious over O’Malley in Miami.
“I think Chito is also a good fighter, very smart. He’s waiting. He’s in his pocket. He’s patient, and then he’s like slow, but he’s sharp. Of course, he has a lot of experience in UFC. He’s been in so many fights, winning and [losing]. He’s dangerous, of course. he has good kicks as well.
“But, I don’t study him much, Chito Vera yet,” Dvalishvili included. “One thing is for sure, I will just train hard. What I learned is, you gotta go step by step. Every fight, like, you know, like, let’s say, I’m focused on my next fight, next fight, next fight. That’s how I’ve been, and I realized that couple of years ago, just just focus of next fight. So if Chito will wins, and I will just start studying him, but just keep doing my thing.”
