Merab Dvalishvili is the second-ranked bantamweight contender in the UFC. However, his refusal to fight Aljamain Sterling, due to their brotherhood and friendship has caused a rift with the UFC and Dana White.
Dvalishvili is currently on a nine-fight win streak. The Georgian fighter is close friends with the former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling. They have been in each other’s corners during their fights inside the octagon for a long time now.
Merab Dvalishvili issues stern warning to Sean O’Malley
Sean O’Malley is the new bantamweight champion in the UFC after defeating Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292. Merab was also present in the Arena during the headliner of UFC 292. Even though O’Malley’s victory over Sterling was highly praised, but his post-fight callout of Marlon Vera received a mixed reception. Many believe that Dvalishvili is the rightful contender to fight the champion next.
Merab took to X (Twitter) to voice his opinion on the matter. Dvalishvili stated that O’Malley has been avoiding a fight with him since 2018. Moreover, the Georgian fighter also criticized the media for their role in the matter. Dana White has already expressed his disapproval of the situation between Dvalishvili and Sterling, and he wants the teammates to face each other.
Nevertheless, Sugar Sean is focused on fighting Marlon Vera in December. O’Malley is a UFC superstar and thus has the influence to get what he wants. On the other hand, The Funk Master is pushing for a rematch, but the chances of getting one are very low.
Dana White roasted Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling’s friendship
Dana White has publicly voiced his opposition to Dvalishvili and Sterling not fighting each other. The UFC president emphasized that the UFC is an organization where fighters compete to be the best. With Dvalishvili and Sterling not fighting, the division’s progress could be hindered.
The UFC President is known to favor O’Malley as he prioritizes the business perspective of the fight game and tends to favor matchups that generate the most revenue. O’Malley is also aligned with White on this front. During the post-fight press conference of UFC 292, Dana spoke very highly of O’Malley as the next big thing in combat sports.
Dana White’s opposition to the idea of Dvalishvili not fighting Sterling suggests that the Georgian fighter would face a challenging path to get a shot at the title. From a business perspective, having Sugar as a champion would enable White to create favorable matchups for the current bantamweight champion.
What do you think of Dana White’s opinion on Sterling and Dvalishvili? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section.
