After Aljamain Sterling successfully defended his bantamweight title against Henry Cejudo at UFC 288, Sean O’Malley stepped inside the octagon and interrupted Sterling’s celebration. Thereafter he exchanged some words with Funkmaster. During this intense faceoff, Aljo’s training partner and bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili stole Suga Sean’s jacket and started celebrating.
The Georgian bantamweight’s hilarious move was the highlight of the PPV and broke the internet. Subsequently, in the post-fight press conference, Dana White was questioned about Dvalishvili’s stance in the bantamweight title scenario as he is #1 in the division. The UFC President had no answer as to what’s next for Merab as he declined an offer to fight for the bantamweight title.
"He could have that fight tomorrow": Dana White says Merab Dvalishvili can take Sean O'Malley's title shot if he's willing to fight good friend Aljamain Sterling.#UFC288 | Full video: https://t.co/5pbPCrbU1h pic.twitter.com/kbvWLsg7ld
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) May 7, 2023
“I don’t know. He doesn’t wanna fight Aljo you know what I mean. I have no idea. Oh yeah, he can have that fight tomorrow.” As things stand, Sean O’Malley will challenge Aljamain Sterling for the bantamweight title. Dana White indicated that they are targeting to book that fight in Boston for a UFC PPV in August.
What’s next for Merab Dvalishvili in the bantamweight division?
Merab Dvalishvili earned the opportunity to fight for the title after he completely outclassed Petr Yan in their five-round main event bout that took place in March. The Machine is currently on a nine-fight winning streak and subsequently, holds the record for the most consecutive wins amongst the current bantamweight contenders.
Apart from the champion Aljamain Sterling himself, Merab is the only fighter to have racked up wins over such big names. With that being said, there aren’t a lot of opponents that the UFC can offer him. From the looks of it, the Georgian bantamweight could take on Cory Sandhagen as he is picked up two big wins in his last two fights.
Following that win, there is a high possibility that Aljo could move up to the 145-pound weight class as he confirmed that a title defense against Sean O’Malley will be his last bout in the bantamweight division. If that’s the case then the promotion could book Merab vs Cory for the title later this year. Do let us know in the comments section who you think should Merab Dvalishvili face next.
