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Tag: matt serra

  • Sean O’Malley’s Coach Branded A ‘Little B*tch’ For Controversial Corner Tactics

    Sean O’Malley’s Coach Branded A ‘Little B*tch’ For Controversial Corner Tactics

    Matt Serra has a deep-rooted connection with Merab Dvalishvili, having trained him upon his arrival in the United States, even before Dvalishvili was fluent in English. This bond ensures Serra’s unwavering support, especially when Dvalishvili faces conflict with opponents or their coaching staff.

    This loyalty was particularly evident after an incident involving Sean O’Malley and his head coach, Tim Welch. Prior to Dvalishvili’s UFC 306 championship victory, a heated exchange occurred between him and the opposition duo, stemming from Welch’s controversial tactics during a previous title fight with Aljamain Sterling.

    While cornering O’Malley, the trainer had attempted to disrupt Sterling by shouting instructions at him.  

    Although “Funk Master” dismissed any impact from Welch’s actions, the coach repeated his disruptive behavior during Sean O’Malley’s fight against Dvalishvili, prompting a warning from the referee.

    This situation deeply resonated with Serra, who, with his extensive experience as both a fighter and a coach, strongly disapproved of Welch’s approach.

    “I’m not a fan of that guy (Welch) because when they were fighting, he does some dirty f*cking, c*nty sh*t,” Serra said during the Overdogs podcast. “He’s the guy (shouting from the corner), ‘Aljo, you’ve got to go, you’ve got (to go)!’

    “It might not be against the rules, but you’re being a little b*tch right now. I’m just letting you know. I’m not going to go, ‘Sean O’Malley, you’ve got to (go)!’“

    Serra’s disapproval extended beyond the personal conflict. He strongly condemned Welch’s use of his cornerman position to shout instructions at opponents. Serra believes this tactic inappropriately inserts coaches into the fight. It’s a practice he considers unacceptable.

  • ‘His Corner Work Was S**t’ – Former UFC Champ Goes Off On Sean O’Malley’s Coach For Merab Dvalishvili Loss

    ‘His Corner Work Was S**t’ – Former UFC Champ Goes Off On Sean O’Malley’s Coach For Merab Dvalishvili Loss

    Many believed Sean O’Malley’s ability to land a knockout shot would favor him against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306. To everyone’s surprise, the challenger was never close to being finished in the fight and won via a unanimous decision.

    A memorable moment from the fight arrived in the first round when Dvalishvili called out Tim Welch for yelling his name. Herb Dean had to step in and give the coach a warning regarding excessive coaching.

    While the MMA community is divided over Welch’s unique corner antics, Matt Serra heavily criticized him for his work at UFC 306…

    Matt Serra Believes Tim Welch Got Exposed During Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili At UFC 306

    During an interview with the new UFC bantamweight champion on the official UFC YouTube channel, Jim Norton and Matt Serra asked him about the first-round drama. Dvalishvili explained the incident to which Serra outright claimed Welch’s move to be shady.

    The former UFC champ then stated that the UFC 306 main event exposed Welch as a coach. O’Malley had been winning and mostly knocking out his opponents effortlessly until now. Like the Petr Yan fight, this was one of those rare times when “Suga” was having trouble finding a way to win.

    “This fight exposed him as a coach because when your guy is winning and knocking people out, sure, you look like a f*****g hero. When your fighter is obviously losing the fight and he starts losing rounds, Tim Welch was like not wanting to hurt his feelings. Okay, good round. No! it was you’re losing f*****g three rounds. You got to get in his a**. You got to say, you got to this. He was afraid that he did not know how to handle his guy on that many rounds. And I thought his f****g corner work was s**t. So, he exposed himself.”

    Instead of keeping it real, Welch kept on appreciating O’Malley which, according to Serra, wasn’t the right thing to do. The UFC Hall of Famer expected the coach to fire up his fighter by telling him that he’s down three rounds and needs to work more to win.

    It is safe to assume that Serra isn’t a big fan of Welch’s coaching style. Having said that, one can’t predict whether more aggressive coaching would’ve helped O’Malley emerge victorious at UFC 306.