MMA News

Tag: Merab Dvalishvili

  • Dana White Responds To ‘Experts’ Criticizing Noche UFC: ‘Talked About That UFC 300 Wasn’t A Good Card!’

    Dana White Responds To ‘Experts’ Criticizing Noche UFC: ‘Talked About That UFC 300 Wasn’t A Good Card!’

    UFC CEO Dana White isn’t concerned about criticisms of the lineup for this weekend’s highly anticipate pay-per-view at the Sphere.

    Mixed martial arts’ leading promotion will stage its sophomore celebration of Mexican Independence Day this Saturday, Sept. 14. Las Vegas is once again the host location, but the Octagon will be in vastly different surroundings this time around.

    Instead of the T-Mobile Arena for the second straight year, this year’s edition of Noche UFC is set to go down inside the unique Sphere venue. Ever since confirming the event, White has been consistently promising a spectacle like nothing seen before.

    While the jury is still out on whether the Sphere production will deliver on that, many have already made their minds up when it comes to the lineup set to accompany it on fight night.

    Although the top of the card boasts two championship clashes as Sean O’Malley and Alexa Grasso defend their titles, in addition to a high-stakes featherweight bout between Brian Ortega and Diego Lopes, the undercard hasn’t exactly created the kind of excitement many had anticipated.

    The UFC CEO, however, sees things differently. And he’s perhaps readying up another compilation of the doubters to post following UFC 306…

    White Hits Back At Those Slamming Sphere Card

    During a recent interview with KTNV Channel 13 Las Vegas, White looked ahead to his promotion’s major PPV event this weekend, which he claims has cost the UFC upwards of $20 million.

    In terms of media members and analysts expressing disappointment over the lineup for Noche UFC, the CEO recalled the negative sentiments some had about UFC 300 in the lead-up.

    “First of all, we made these fights to be badass fights that night. We want fights that represent Mexicans and the history of how they fight in Mexico. I guarantee you that we have done that,” White said. “This event is so big, so different, and so special, yes, this is the type of event you put those type of guys in.

    “I deal with this every time we put on a fight. Going into UFC 300, the critics, the ‘experts’, all the people who know about fighting talked about that UFC 300 wasn’t a good card,” White continued. “I’ve dealt with this my entire career. You hear these kind of things from, you know, the ‘experts’. All the experts about fighting are in this building (UFC Headquarters) right here. So, yeah, we’re very confident in the card and the fighters.”

    Much of the criticism surrounding UFC 300 focused on the main event, which saw Alex Pereira defend his light heavyweight title against Jamahal Hill. The bout came together on relatively late notice after other options failed to come to fruition.

    This time around, it would appear that the MMA community was expecting a deeper card than has come together for Noche UFC. But regardless, those set to be in action will look to make the most of their position on the prominent lineup and deliver enthralling violence inside the Sphere.

  • Sean O’Malley Baffled By Merab Dvalishvili’s Confidence: ‘He’s Sloppy, He’s Slow…’

    Sean O’Malley Baffled By Merab Dvalishvili’s Confidence: ‘He’s Sloppy, He’s Slow…’

    UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley doesn’t know where upcoming opponent Merab Dvalishvili is getting his self-belief from.

    O’Malley is just days away from his second defense of the 135-pound title. And just over a year on from his crowning at the expense of the previously long-reigning Aljamain Sterling, “Sugar” is tasked with dispatching of “Funk Master’s” teammate.

    Challenging the champ in the main event of this weekend’s Noche UFC pay-per-view is Merab Dvalishvili, who will look to ride his 10-fight winning run all the way to a memorable crowning moment inside the Sphere.

    When it comes to his chances of doing so, the Georgian hasn’t been short on confidence. And that’s even extended beyond his strengths on the ground, with “The Machine” insisting that takedowns aren’t essential to his success on Sept. 14.

    That confidence is confusing, according to O’Malley.

    O’Malley: Dvalishvili Has ‘Never Fought Someone Like Me’

    During a recent interview for UFC.com, O’Malley looked ahead to his second assignment of 2024, the first of which saw him avenge a 2021 defeat to Marlon Vera in defense of his gold at UFC 299 in Miami this past March.

    As he did in that outing and many before, the Montana native is once again expecting for his speed and slick striking to make the difference against an opponent he branded “sloppy” and “slow” on Saturday night.

    “(This) fight is not going to go the way he thinks it’s going to go,” O’Malley said. “This fight is going to end brutal. The way he blitzes in, the ways he’s sloppy. He is slow. It is not going to end well for him. I do not understand where the confidence comes from. I know he’s beat a bunch of guys, but he’s never fought anyone like me.”

    O’Malley will look to make good on that prediction come fight night, where all eyes will not only be on his highly awaited showdown with Dvalishvili but also the unique surroundings in which the event is set to take place.

  • Alexander Volkanovski Compares Noche UFC 306 Fighter To Himself In Prediction

    Alexander Volkanovski Compares Noche UFC 306 Fighter To Himself In Prediction

    Alexander Volkanovski recently likened Merab Dvalishvili’s resilience to his own in his prediction for Noche UFC 306.

    Dvalishvili is set to challenge reigning UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley in the headlining bout of the highly anticipated pay-per-view event, slated to take place this Saturday at The Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada.

    Despite riding the wave of an impressive 10-fight win streak, “The Machine” had to tirelessly push for his long-awaited title shot. Now, standing in his path is one of the UFC’s most skilled strikers. While Dvalishvili is widely believed to hold the grappling edge, he plans to use constant forward pressure and sharp boxing to wear O’Malley down.

    Dvalishvili has long proven his ability to turn his cardio into a relentless force, making it one of the defining strengths of his fighting style. Volkanovski believes this unmatched endurance is what truly sets him apart in his upcoming showdown with “Suga”…

    Volkanovski Says Keeping Dvalishvili At Bay Is A Tough Task

    In a recent prediction video for Noche UFC 306 on his YouTube channel, “The Great” shared his thoughts on the O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili matchup. The former UFC featherweight champion acknowledged that while “The Machine” boasts exceptional wrestling prowess, he remains susceptible to O’Malley’s razor-sharp striking accuracy.

    “Is he [Dvalishvili] gonna be open to being hit? Yes, I believe so,” Volkanovski said. “I think Sean O’Malley’s eye is incredible. His movement’s gonna make it a little bit hard, but his relentless takedown pressure, or his pressure on takedowns, I think he’s gonna eventually get it unless he gets knocked out. I don’t care how good your footwork is, you’re not going to keep Merab away from you unless you put his lights out. That’s the only way you don’t get taken down. I think Merab is going to eventually get the takedown. I don’t care how good Sean O’Malley’s footwork is, the clinch is going to be there.”

    Volkanovski went on to say that Dvalishvili shares the same unyielding, never-back-down mentality that he himself possesses, a trait that makes fighters like them incredibly difficult to defeat.

    “I believe, like myself, there are quite a few fighters out there who just never give up. They’re constantly there, just grinding and grinding, and it’s just too much for people. For someone like Merab, I feel like the only way I see him losing is by getting knocked out. That’s how I’ve always seen myself. I’ve always been quite confident, but I don’t believe anyone’s going to go out there and out-grind me or out-work me.”

    While “The Great” predicted that Dvalishvili could clinch a win by methodically imposing his will over the entire 25-minute bout, he also warned that the ever-present danger of a knockout from O’Malley looms large.

  • Merab Dvalishvili Downplays Importance Of Takedowns vs. Sean O’Malley

    Merab Dvalishvili Downplays Importance Of Takedowns vs. Sean O’Malley

    UFC bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili doesn’t see successful takedowns as the be all and end all of his title challenge this weekend.

    Having won 10 straight inside the Octagon, a run that most recently had triumphs over Petr Yan and Henry Cejudo added to it, Dvalishvili is set to compete with UFC gold on the line for the very first time.

    The Georgian will look to bring about his crowning moment at the expense of reigning kingpin Sean O’Malley, whom he’ll headline the Noche UFC pay-per-view alongside at the Sphere in Las Vegas.

    Many in the community have gone back and forth with their predictions on who will exit the unique venue on Sept. 14 with the 135-pound belt in their possession. Most agree, however, when it comes to where each fighter will find their likely method of victory.

    But Dvalishvili says fans shouldn’t be shocked if he wins in spite of O’Malley’s takedown defense holding firm…

    Dvalishvili On Grappling Narrative: ‘I Beat José Aldo & I Wasn’t Able To Take Him Down!’ 

    During a recent interview with Kevin Iole, Dvalishvili looked ahead to his long-awaited first opportunity at achieving title glory on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage this Saturday night.

    In terms of the expected approach and suggestions that the ground marks the only location in which the challenger can emerge victorious, “The Machine” pointed to his past success opposite renowned striker José Aldo as evidence that he can wrest the title away from O’Malley without succeeding in takedown attempts.

    “Lots of MMA fans, very casual, they don’t — if they’re not watching MMA very close or they’re not training, they just say things,” Dvalishvili said. “I am number one contender. I am fighting for the belt. I am good everywhere, even striking when I need to strike. I beat José Aldo and I wasn’t able to take him down. That means I can strike too. Maybe it was boring, (but) not because of me. José Aldo was being smart.”

    While Dvalishvili will look to prove as much should O’Malley withstand his inevitable grappling initiations on Saturday night, there’s little doubt where the Georgian’s main advantages over the champ lie.

  • Merab Dvalishvili Rejects Notion Sean O’Malley Will Be His Toughest Opponent To Date

    Merab Dvalishvili Rejects Notion Sean O’Malley Will Be His Toughest Opponent To Date

    Top UFC bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili knows he’s in for a challenge this weekend, but he doesn’t see it as the greatest he’s faced to date.

    Dvalishvili will make the walk on Saturday night to headline Noche UFC (UFC 306), the promotion’s second annual celebration of Mexican Independence Day, at the Sphere in Las Vegas.

    The Georgian is set to challenge for the gold at 135 pounds opposite reigning kingpin Sean O’Malley, having earned his first title shot off the back of 10 straight wins on MMA’s biggest stage.

    In “Sugar,” Dvalishvili is challenging a champ whose sole career loss came soon after a freak injury opposite Marlon Vera, a setback he avenged emphatically across five rounds against “Chito” this past March.

    With that defense coming months on from a memorable crowning against grappling specialist Aljamain Sterling, plenty are backing the Montana native to withstand the threat brought by “Funk Master’s” teammate on Sept. 14.

    But Dvalishvili has vowed to wrest the strap away from O’Malley, and he doesn’t even think doing so would represent him overcoming his biggest hurdle thus far…

    Dvalishvili Picks Aldo Over O’Malley For Toughest UFC Opponent

    During a recent interview with TMZ Sports, Dvalishvili looked ahead to the challenge awaiting him inside the Sphere on Saturday night.

    When asked whether he’s expecting the toughest test of his career, the Georgian instead pointed to legendary former featherweight champion and one-time bantamweight title challenger José Aldo.

    “I don’t think he’s the toughest opponent because I fought José Aldo, and I think he was the toughest opponent for me,” Dvalishvili said. “(O’Malley) is a new challenge, and I have all the respect for him as a fighter. I know he is good. He is dangerous. He knocks people out. He has the skill, the power, and everything else. But so do I.”

    O’Malley will no doubt expect to prove those comments wrong by delivering another emphatic title defense come fight night in Las Vegas this weekend, where both the UFC and boxing great Canelo Álvarez look to celebrate Mexican Independence Day with standout events in the “Fight Capital of the World.”

  • Coach Vows: ‘No Way’ Merab Dvalishvili Suffers Ben Askren-Like Knockout At UFC 306

    Coach Vows: ‘No Way’ Merab Dvalishvili Suffers Ben Askren-Like Knockout At UFC 306

    Heading into the biggest fight of his career, Merab Dvalishvili is preparing for a high-stakes chess match in the main event of UFC 306.

    Many will point to the grappling skills as the clear advantage that Dvalishvili has over the bantamweight champion, Sean O’Malley.

    The issue is getting to “Suga” without taking significant damage requires a lot of patience and timing which means he can’t afford to rush things.

    This was stressed by both his long-time training partner and former O’Malley opponent Aljamain Sterling as well as his coach, John Wood, who is making sure that they’re ready to fight across all ranges in case they need to.

    John Wood Says That Merab Dvalishvili Won’t Be Overzealous In Shooting For A Takedown

    In a recent interview with The Scrap, Wood spoke about how he always prepares his fighters in this way even if they have a specialist skillset.

    Being confident in all aspects of the fight means that Dvalishvili isn’t going to solely rely on his grappling, which could lead to him rushing and making mistakes which O’Malley will be looking to punish him for with his counter-striking game.

    “There are things that we can see that we can capitalize on and obviously, it’d be a fool to think that they don’t think or his coach Tim Welch wouldn’t think, ‘Oh hey, we’re going out there to just dive in on his legs.’ Of course they know that so we’re not going to do that. We’re not going to make it, ‘Oh hey, here I am,’ boom, run into something. That’s just stupid.”

    The interviewer, Marcos Antelo, then made reference to Jorge Masvidal’s record-breaking knockout of Ben Askren at UFC 239.

    “Gamebred” secured the fastest finish in UFC history back in 2019 after he correctly predicted that Askren would dip his head for a takedown if Masvidal ran at him, lining him up perfectly for a flying knee.

    Wood doubled down on the idea that they won’t be rushing anything on Saturday night at the Sphere, and are preparing for a complete mixed martial arts contest.

    “Yeah that’s just ridiculous, there’s no way that’s happening. There’s no way we’re getting KO’d in that kind of situation. There’s no way like, are we gonna get hit? Sure. Is Sean gonna get taken down? Yes. It it gonna be a fight? Absolutely.”

    Read also: UFC Analyst Predicts Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili To Be One-Sided: ‘Can’t See A Back & Forth Fight’

  • Sean O’Malley’s Coach Reveals He Uses Memes To Craft Game Plan Against Merab Dvalishvili

    Sean O’Malley’s Coach Reveals He Uses Memes To Craft Game Plan Against Merab Dvalishvili

    UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley and his long-time coach, Tim Welch, have come through their careers alongside one another.

    Due to the fact that they have worked as a team for such a long time, they have a great working relationship that allows both of them to excel in their roles.

    Welch has spent the past few months helping to prepare his fighter for UFC 306 this Saturday night, where “Suga” takes on Merab Dvalishvili.

    On a recent podcast appearance, Welch spoke about a technique they use when helping the 135-pound champ to become familiar with how their opponents react to different scenarios.

    Tim Welch Reveals Scouting Technique For Sean O’Malley’s Opponents

    On The BrendenSchmitty Show, Welch explained how a fighter in their gym named TJ is crucial to helping break down O’Malley’s opponents.

    He explained how TJ helps to produce detailed reports of what and how Dvalishvili acts in instances where he’s shooting for takedowns, responding to strikes from different stances and recovering from being hurt.

    The added trick that helps to translate this information to O’Malley in his training is by breaking these reactions into short clips – and memes – so that they can be constantly replayed, meaning that “Suga” can pick them up even faster.

    Taking these patterns and making them into a part of their training and drills allows O’Malley to know what his opponent will do before they even do it.

    “What does he do after he gets rocked and hurt like when Marlon hurt him or Henry hurt him? What does he do? Where’s his head at? What does he do? And he breaks down all these things and turns them into little GIFs or like memes so he can watch that and then it can structure the pads and the knockout shots around that… and then just having Sean rep it and rep it and rep it and then try to hit it in sparring.”

    Read also: Sean O’Malley Questions Who Aljamain Sterling Will Be Supporting At Noche UFC: ‘Probably Hopes I Beat Merab…’

  • VIDEO: UFC 306 Countdown Episode Ahead Of Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili & Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko 3

    VIDEO: UFC 306 Countdown Episode Ahead Of Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili & Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko 3

    Fight week for the UFC 306 (Noche UFC) pay-per-view this Saturday night has kicked off with the release of the promotion’s latest Countdown episode.

    Under the spotlight in this edition is the headliner between Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili and the co-main event between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko.

    Saturday’s lineup is topped by an intriguing championship clash, with bantamweight kingpin O’Malley (18-1, 1 NC) looking to add a second successful defense to his reign, which got underway with a victory over Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 in August 2023. He’s since retained possession of the belt by getting the better of Marlon Vera in their Miami rematch this past March.

    If “Sugar” is to continue his rule atop the 135-pound mountain, he must record a victory over Dvalishvili (17-4). “The Machine” will ride a 10-fight win streak into his first title shot on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage, most notably getting the better of prominent names like Marlon Moraes, José Aldo, Petr Yan, and Henry Cejudo in recent years.

    Before those two run it back in the main event at Las Vegas’ Sphere, the Mexican Independence Day celebration will see one of the country’s own defending their championship.

    For the third straight fight, the UFC women’s flyweight gold will be contested by Grasso (16-3-1) and Shevchenko (23-4-1), as they complete their trilogy 18 months on from the Mexican’s memorable upset submission at T-Mobile Arena. Since that result, the pair have fought to a draw at last year’s Noche UFC event and coached opposite one another on the 2024 edition of The Ultimate Fighter.

    Ahead of those two contests in Las Vegas, fans can catch previews in the full episode of UFC 306 Countdown on the promotion’s YouTube channel.

    UFC 306 Countdown: Full Episode

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDwQL_Dyonk
  • Sean O’Malley Questions Who Aljamain Sterling Will Be Supporting At Noche UFC: ‘Probably Hopes I Beat Merab…’

    Sean O’Malley Questions Who Aljamain Sterling Will Be Supporting At Noche UFC: ‘Probably Hopes I Beat Merab…’

    UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley sees a reason for upcoming opponent Merab Dvalishvili’s most notable teammate actually rooting against the challenger this weekend.

    O’Malley is set for his second assignment of 2024 on Saturday night. After headlining UFC 299 in Miami this past March, the 135-pound kingpin will put his gold on the line in the main event of Noche UFC.

    “Sugar” has been tasked with topping the lineup for the promotion’s celebration of Mexican Independence Day this year, which comes at a notably different venue in the form of Las Vegas’ Sphere.

    The Montana native is looking to close out a memorable night by stalling the title charge of Dvalishvili, who has won 10 straight to finally earn his first opportunity at reaching the bantamweight mountaintop.

    O’Malley and his supporters will be expecting “The Machine” to fall short. And, according to the champ, Dvalishvili’s own teammate may be hoping for the same fate…

    O’Malley Has A Theory On Dvalishvili, Sterling Friendship

    During a recent interview with TMZ Sports, O’Malley looked ahead to his second defense of the bantamweight title, which has seen his eyes remain on a member of the Serra-Longo Fight Team.

    Talk of Sterling providing Dvalishvili with valuable insight into sharing the cage with “Sugar” has been a prominent topic in the lead-up to the Sept. 14 event.

    However, given the manner of his defeat in Boston last year, O’Malley wouldn’t be surprised if “Funk Master” is secretly rooting for the Georgian’s failure in order to make his efforts against “Sugar” look better.

    “I mean, I don’t know what Aljo’s gonna tell Merab. Like, ‘F*ck, he’s fast, he’s sharp, he’s accurate, he’s hard to take down. Good luck!’ Like, there wasn’t a lot of success Aljo had in that fight,” O’Malley said. “If anything, Aljo probably shouldn’t tell him anything because it’s probably just gonna make him a little bit nervous.

    “Who knows, Aljo probably hopes I beat Merab. It makes Aljo look better,” O’Malley continued. “I’m just curious if Merab was happy that I knocked out Aljo. If I didn’t knock out Aljo, Merab still would be waiting around. So I have a little theory that maybe they’re not as good buddies as we all thought.”

    Sterling is expected to be alongside the likes of Ray Longo with team Dvalishvili this weekend, hoping to get a cageside view of his friend and training partner’s long-awaited crowning moment on MMA’s biggest stage.

    And when it comes to the venue for his first attempt at securing that, the Georgian likely couldn’t have wished for a grander setting than the unique surroundings of the Sphere.

  • UFC Analyst Predicts Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili To Be One-Sided: ‘Can’t See A Back & Forth Fight’

    UFC Analyst Predicts Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili To Be One-Sided: ‘Can’t See A Back & Forth Fight’

    UFC Fight Night: Burns vs. Brady has concluded, and next week, The Sphere will finally host UFC 306 featuring Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili as the main event. Alongside the exciting fight card, fans are looking forward to enjoying the spectacle promised by Dana White.

    The UFC bantamweight title bout is hard to predict for many. O’Malley and Dvalishvili are masters of different trades, and both have been pretty successful with their styles so far.

    According to UFC analyst Din Thomas, the UFC 306 main event will be one-sided, and it’s unlikely that fans will get to see a persistent brawl…

    Din Thomas Believes Sean O’Malley Is A Harder Opponent For Merab Dvalishvili Than Aljamain Sterling

    Karyn Brant, Paul Felder, and Thomas previewed UFC 306 at the UFC Fight Night Post Show on ESPN MMA recently.

    Felder was hyped up for the main event because of the long history between “Suga” and “The Machine”. From Dvalishvili stealing O’Malley’s jacket inside the Octagon to the latter unknowingly filming the former training in the rain, there have been plenty of memorable moments in their rivalry.

    Felder also mentioned the challenger’s relentless pressure and the champ’s accurate counter-striking that make this fight so unpredictable. According to Din Thomas, the fighter who walks away with the win will make himself known early in the fight.

    Thomas stated that the initial rounds would reveal the entire story of the UFC 306 main event. If Dvalishvili can control O’Malley early on, he’ll most likely continue to do so for five rounds. On the flip side, if the UFC bantamweight kingpin finds his range quickly, he’ll be piecing up “The Machine” from a distance throughout the fight.

    “I think we’re going to know right away. I think if Merab is able to get his hands on Sean early, then I think that’s going to tell the entire story of the fight. And if he can’t, I think that’s going to tell… I can’t see a back-and-forth fight here because their styles are so different and they’re so strong at their offenses that I just can’t imagine it going back-and-forth.”

    The analyst also pointed out that Dvalishvili is shorter than former champ Aljamain Sterling and he also gets hit way more. Thomas concluded that to emerge victorious, the challenger must find a way to not be overwhelmed by O’Malley’s precise distant striking.

    “As sharp as Sean O’Malley is, like that shot that he hit Aljamain Sterling with, that right hand.. just eagle eyed him. Just bang, Merab is more susceptible to getting hit than Aljamain and he’s shorter and he’s going to have a harder time getting in. So, Merab to me, this comes down to what is Merab doing in training to be able to deal with that length.”

  • Sean O’Malley Promises To Reopen Merab Dvalishvili Cut At Noche UFC: ‘The Dude’s Just Not That Smart’

    Sean O’Malley Promises To Reopen Merab Dvalishvili Cut At Noche UFC: ‘The Dude’s Just Not That Smart’

    UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley has seemingly made a mental note of the cut Merab Dvalishvili suffered in training.

    O’Malley will put his gold on the line in the main event of Noche UFC/UFC 306 next weekend, topping the lineup alongside Dvalishvili for the promotion’s second Mexican Independence Day celebration.

    Their bout marks the main attraction of the highly anticipated event at the Sphere in Las Vegas. But the lead-up to the card was briefly struck by cancellation fears after Dvalishvili posted a cut from camp on social media a few weeks out.

    While the Georgian challenger insists his title shot was never in jeopardy and has since returned to usual training, that didn’t stop UFC CEO Dana White from publicly slamming “The Machine.”

    “The whole world knows about Merab’s cut. He posted it. Our guys are so dumb, it’s next-level unbelievable,” White said during a DWCS press conference. “All the stuff I talk about boxing, what I will give boxing, is when something happens in a camp, man, let me tell you what, it does not leak. Our guys can’t f*cking wait to throw it up on social media.

    “It’s a small cut. It’s no big deal. But obviously, it needed to be posted,” White continued. “Why the f*ck would you want him to know that? It is next-level stupid. Some of these guys are so stupid it’s mind-boggling. It’s unbelievable.”

    And we can seemingly count O’Malley among those who agree with White’s take…

    O’Malley Puts Dvalishvili’s Cut In His Crosshairs

    During a recent interview with Kevin Iole, O’Malley looked ahead to his sophomore bantamweight title defense, touching on one of the main topics that has arisen in the latter part of the Noche UFC build-up.

    Many suggested Dvalishvili made a mistake by publicly displaying a cut for his opponent to target, and “Sugar” backed that up by insisting he will reopen the blemish at some point in the PPV main event on Sept. 14.

    “I am 100 percent going to open up that cut, whether it’s healed or not,” O’Malley said. “I don’t know how much it can heal. I’ve never really had any bad cuts, so I’m not sure. But that’s the left side of his face. This right hand doesn’t miss.

    “I’ll probably accidentally hit his nose before I hit that cut. That nose just kinda takes up like 85 percent of his face, so I’m gonna try to get around his face and get to that cut,” O’Malley continued. “Dana referring to him as one of the — I don’t remember what he said, one of the stupidest people or beyond stupid. Whatever he said was pretty accurate. I mean, the dude’s just not that smart of a guy.”

    O’Malley will look to inflict that damage, as well as much more, en route to breaking Dvalishvili’s lengthy winning run, both stalling the Georgian’s title ambitions and retaining his place on the bantamweight throne in the process.

  • Merab Dvalishvili Clarifies Staph Status After He Is Interrupted Mid-Interview By UFC Doctors

    Merab Dvalishvili Clarifies Staph Status After He Is Interrupted Mid-Interview By UFC Doctors

    A post on social media from Merab Dvalishvili had the MMA fans putting on their detective hats to try and scope out a concern.

    Ahead of his bantamweight title fight against Sean O’Malley at UFC 306, the challenger shared on Instagram that he was releasing his first apparel collection in collaboration with Takedown.

    Fans quickly made note of a mark on Dvalishvili’s left arm that looked like it could be a staph infection, which has been a reoccurring issue in some big fights this year.

    Considering how the Georgian fighter’s cardio is one of his biggest weapons, having to be on a course of antibiotics heading into fight week could have made a huge difference to the main event that is set to go down at the Sphere.

    Merab Dvalishvili Says He’s Got The All-Clear After Being Interrupted Mid-Interview

    New York Post Sports’ MMA reporter Scott Fontana recently posted a clip from his interview with Dvalishvili which was broken up halfway through.

    The top contender at 135 pounds apologized for having to step away for a moment and in this period, consulted with a doctor about the mark on his arm.

    When returning back to the interview to continue from where they left off, he gave Fontana a promising update that would appear to dispel any of the concerns from the fans online.

    “I’m sorry my friend, UFC doctor was checking me out. They was looking at this [showing the mark to camera] like I have nothing, they thought I have something but I’m good… Yes I take a picture and a lot of people comment like they was thinking I have a staph infection but I’m good man, I don’t think I have nothing. As you see, there is no staph infection.”

    Fontana also noted that during the break in the interview, the doctor had mentioned the cut which Dvalishvili had made public on social media.

    The title challenger said that this is also not a worry and that they’re using a cream to help this heal before September 14.

    Read also: ‘He Only Beat Cory Sandhagen’ – Merab Dvalishvili Doubles Down On Deiveson Figueiredo Deserving Next Bantamweight Title Shot Over Umar Nurmagomedov

  • Merab Dvalishvili Doesn’t Regret Social Media Post That Angered Dana White: ‘This Is Who I Am!’

    Merab Dvalishvili Doesn’t Regret Social Media Post That Angered Dana White: ‘This Is Who I Am!’

    Should top bantamweight Merab Dvalishvili sustain more cuts in the lead-up to major UFC fights, Dana White can expect them to be broadcast across social media.

    Dvalishvili is currently gearing up for about as big an assignment possible, with the Georgian scheduled to challenge for Sean O’Malley’s title in the main event of Noche UFC at the Sphere next weekend.

    But a few weeks out, concern arose when the challenger displayed a worrisome cut sustained to his face during a training session on social media.

    While Dvalishvili and his team eventually clarified that the blemish was by no means a threat to his monumental headliner going ahead on September 14, that didn’t stop “The Machine” catching the wrath of his boss.

    “The whole world knows about Merab’s cut. He posted it. Our guys are so dumb, it’s next-level unbelievable,” White said during a DWCS press conference. “All the stuff I talk about boxing, what I will give boxing, is when something happens in a camp, man, let me tell you what, it does not leak. Our guys can’t f*cking wait to throw it up on social media.

    “It’s a small cut. It’s no big deal. But obviously, it needed to be posted,” White continued. “Why the f*ck would you want him to know that? It is next-level stupid. Some of these guys are so stupid it’s mind-boggling. It’s unbelievable.”

    Despite that, though, Dvalishvili has no regrets.

    Dvalishvili On UFC Backlash For Cut Post: ‘It Wasn’t A Big Deal’

    During a recent interview with Mike Bohn for MMA Junkie, Dvalishvili addressed his post revealing the cut suffered in training and the subsequent reaction from White.

    While he noted that upsetting the promotion and its higher-ups is by no means a desire of his, the Georgian contender did suggest that such actions are simply part of who he is as a fighter.

    “I never regret what I did, you know? I post this because I post everything on my social media. It wasn’t a big deal because I had more than three weeks after I got cut,” Dvalishvili said. “This cut (had) no effect on my training, my sparring. As you see, I healed up and everything is good.

    “Yeah, when I see Dana was upset, of course, like, I don’t want to upset Dana White and the UFC. But I was very calm and relaxed because it wasn’t a big deal,” Dvalishvili continued. “I don’t regret nothing. This is who I am. This is what I do. This is my life. I am a fighter.”

    Fortunately, Dvalishvili’s confidence regarding the cut’s healing time proved not to be misplaced, with the Georgian quickly being able to resume normal training as the lead-up to his first title challenge nears its conclusion.

  • ‘He Only Beat Cory Sandhagen’ – Merab Dvalishvili Doubles Down On Deiveson Figueiredo Deserving Next Bantamweight Title Shot Over Umar Nurmagomedov

    ‘He Only Beat Cory Sandhagen’ – Merab Dvalishvili Doubles Down On Deiveson Figueiredo Deserving Next Bantamweight Title Shot Over Umar Nurmagomedov

    After winning ten UFC fights in a row, Merab Dvalishvili will rightly challenge Sean O’Malley for the promotion’s bantamweight championship at The Sphere in Las Vegas on September 14, 2024.

    The classic striker vs. grappler matchup already has fans on the edge of their seats. On top of that, Dvalishvili posting his cut and then taking his stitches out with the biggest scissors possible in viral clips further added to the hype.

    Interestingly, regardless of the outcome of the Riyadh Season Noche UFC main event, Dvalishvili doesn’t want Umar Nurmagomedov to be the next bantamweight title challenger…

    Merab Dvalishvili Opposes Umar Nurmagomedov Getting A UFC Title Shot With Just One Win Over A Ranked Opponent

    Dvalishvili discussed who he thinks should get the next title shot in the UFC bantamweight division during an interview with MMA Junkie recently. Although the consensus is that Nurmagomedov’s win over Cory Sandhagen makes him the next contender, “The Machine” disagrees.

    As someone who had to fight several top-ranked opponents to secure a title shot, Dvalishvili wants other fighters in his division to follow a similar route. He thinks that former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo should fight for the belt next because of his wins over Rob Font, Chito Vera, and Cody Garbrandt.

    Nurmagomedov, on the other hand, needs to fight more contenders according to Dvalishvili. He pointed out that the undefeated prospect was fighting non-ranked opponents before Sandhagen, so his resume is not worthy of a title shot yet.

    “He beat one former champion in this weight class and one title challenger. And he beat Rob Font. And Figueiredo is former champion, and he has big name and he deserves. Umar, he only beat Cory Sandhagen from top 15, only one guy he beat from top 15. And why he deserve fight for the belt? I’m not saying, you know, even if I would be champion, he has to fight Sean O’Malley. He don’t have to, I don’t think he deserves to fight for the belt, you know, that’s my opinion.”

    Dvalishvili’s focus is to naturally win the UFC bantamweight title first. He seems to have healed up perfectly from the infamous cut and is ready to show the world his well-rounded game on September 14, 2024.

  • Merab Dvalishvili Told To Borrow From Pedro Munhoz’s Approach Against ‘Suga’: ‘Let O’Malley Make The Mistakes…’

    Merab Dvalishvili Told To Borrow From Pedro Munhoz’s Approach Against ‘Suga’: ‘Let O’Malley Make The Mistakes…’

    A lot of fans are going to be tuning into the main event of UFC 306 expecting Merab Dvalishvili to come out and fight with a very high work rate.

    The bantamweight contender is one of the best fighters in the sport when it comes to weaponizing his conditioning, especially over five rounds.

    His grappling and relentless output is sure to be a difficult problem for the sniper-like striking of Sean O’Malley but Dvalishvili’s teammate has a different option in mind.

    The former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling pointed to one of O’Malley’s past fights as a good example of how the opposite strategy can be effective against “Suga”.

    Aljamain Sterling Points Out How Pedro Munhoz Had Success Against Sean O’Malley By Letting Him Go First

    O’Malley’s best skillset is far and above his counter-striking, as we saw in his title defense against Marlon Vera and his bantamweight title win over Sterling.

    On that night at UFC 292, “Funkmaster” made a mistake in trying to press the action and was caught during his takedown entry.

    In a recent interview with Jake Noecker for Home of Fight, Sterling spoke out about how being reserved so that you aren’t giving the counter-striker many opportunities to land shots or make reads, could be an option for his long-time friend and training partner.

    He pointed to O’Malley’s fight against Pedro Munhoz at UFC 276 as a good example of this.

    Though the fight was declared a no-contest in the second round after Munhoz couldn’t continue from an eye poke, he won the opening stanza on two of the three scorecards by fighting with a much more calculated and controlled approach.

    “I think it’s gonna come down to a patience game. I think if Merab implements the same game plan that I used in the first round, just make it a slow fight, let O’Malley be the one to make mistakes. He’s used to people chasing him and he’s a very good counter fighter so don’t give him what he needs which is what the game plan was in our fight.

    “So just speaking to Merab, letting him know those are his keys to victory. You watch his fight with Pedro Munhoz, it’s a very slow paced fight, not much happens if you don’t give him what he wants and I think anyone who’s an analyst in the sport knows what he’s good at, knows what he needs to have to have success. You take those tools away from him then he doesn’t really, I don’t want to say he doesn’t really have much but we haven’t seen that side of him. Having to be the aggressor when his opponent is not hurt.”

    Read also: Sean O’Malley’s Coach On Henry Cejudo: ‘Thinks He’s God’s Gift…’ 

  • Merab Dvalishvili’s Coach On Approach To Avoid Against Sean O’Malley: ‘That’s How We’re Gonna Get Knocked Out’

    Merab Dvalishvili’s Coach On Approach To Avoid Against Sean O’Malley: ‘That’s How We’re Gonna Get Knocked Out’

    Merab Dvalishvili has won ten consecutive UFC fights to find himself as the number one contender in the bantamweight division.

    In many of his signature wins over the likes of Henry Cejudo, José Aldo and Petr Yan, it has been his relentless cardio and grappling game that usually sees him dominate opponents.

    Though the Georgian fighter has shown a willingness to test his striking skills rather than constantly chaining together his takedown attempts, he has been hurt several times whilst standing with other contenders.

    While it is important for Dvalishvili to not be too one dimensional in his upcoming title fight with Sean O’Malley at UFC 306, his coach is also very aware that this is where they have the best chance of winning this fight.

    John Wood Says It’s Important For Merab Dvalishvili To Use His Grappling Skill Set At UFC 306

    O’Malley and Dvalishvili are far too accomplished as overall mixed martial arts to refer to this fight as entirely a striker vs grappler match-up, but it’s clear that they do their best work in the respective ranges.

    This is something that was stressed by John Wood in a recent interview with Red Corner MMA, where he spoke about Dvalishvili’s preparations.

    He isn’t going to be training his fighter to neglect his striking skills but at the same time, he knows that if they aren’t looking to use their grappling whenever they can, they’re making it an easier night for the champion on September 14.

    “I never want to overlook what got Merab to the dance, what brought Merab into this title fight and we have to try to keep those things in check and not lose ourselves. ‘Oh we have to go learn traditional boxing, we have to learn striking, we have to do these things to compete with O’Malley,’ because that’s how we’re going to get knocked out. Merab is a crazy man we just have to make him a technical crazy man.”

    Read also: Coach On Sean O’Malley Not Defending Title Against Umar Nurmagomedov: “If ‘Suga’ Just Faceplants Merab & Drops A ‘Hendo’ Bomb…”

  • Sean O’Malley’s Coach On Henry Cejudo: ‘Thinks He’s God’s Gift…’ 

    Sean O’Malley’s Coach On Henry Cejudo: ‘Thinks He’s God’s Gift…’ 

    Suffice to say, UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley and his team haven’t sought the aid of Henry Cejudo ahead of their upcoming showdown with Merab Dvalishvili…

    O’Malley is set to make his second defense of the title later this month inside the unique surroundings of the Sphere in Las Vegas, where he’ll headline the second edition of Noche UFC six months on from his five-round beatdown of Marlon “Chito” Vera.

    Next looking to unseat “Sugar” is Dvalishvili, an in-form Georgian who has won 10 straight to earn his long-awaited first opportunity at UFC gold.

    “The Machine’s” path to the top has included memorable performances against the likes of Marlon Moraes and Petr Yan, but he perhaps saved his best for last when he squared off against a former simultaneous two-division champ at UFC 298 this past February. Dvalishvili collided with Cejudo on the main card in Anaheim, further stalling “Triple C’s” pursuit of regaining the belt with a comfortable victory on the scorecards.

    While that left Cejudo with 15 minutes experience of what the Georgian contender brings to the Octagon, O’Malley’s team doesn’t believe he could offer them any advice of value in the lead-up to September 14.

    O’Malley’s Coach Not Interested In Tips From Ex-Dvalishvili Opponent Cejudo

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoNd4U5WNok

    During a recent interview for Bodog Canada, coach Tim Welch looked ahead to his man’s second assignment of 2024, which is currently set to see O’Malley’s challenger make the walk as the favorite.

    But while Welch and co. no doubt have plenty of ways in mind to combat Dvalishvili’s perceived edge in certain realms, picking the brain of an ex-bantamweight and flyweight titleholder, Fight Ready coach, and former opponent of the Georgian’s is not one of them.

    “I don’t know if that (talking to Cejudo) would help,” Welch said. “Everyone I’ve talked to that tried to talk to Henry, even coaches, they have a tough time working with Henry because he thinks he’s god’s gift to this green Earth, and you can’t teach him nothing, and his way is the way. But clearly it’s not, because Merab ragdolled him. So that’s definitely not the guy we want tips from.”

    O’Malley will look to do a better job at stifling Dvalishvili’s offense than Cejudo did come fight night at Las Vegas’ Sphere in less than two weeks’ time.

    The pair’s bantamweight championship clash will top a lineup that also includes another title bout, with flyweight queen Alexa Grasso and all-time great Valentina Shevchenko set to complete their trilogy in the co-main event.

  • Sean O’Malley’s Coach Calls Merab Dvalishvili ‘Scary’ But Highlights Major Flaw In His Game: ‘Too Close To The Fight Now To Fix’

    Sean O’Malley’s Coach Calls Merab Dvalishvili ‘Scary’ But Highlights Major Flaw In His Game: ‘Too Close To The Fight Now To Fix’

    Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili will fight for the UFC bantamweight championship on September 14, 2024, at the Sphere, Nevada. While the champion is already one of the most popular MMA fighters out there, Dvalishvili has all the hype around him due to his ten-fight win streak in the UFC.

    Both O’Malley and Dvalishvili have defeated former UFC bantamweight champ Petr Yan. “Suga” knocked out Aljamain Sterling for the title after that win, while “The Machine” defeated another former champ Henry Cejudo.

    Despite their evenly matched resumes and countering fighting styles, Tim Welch has explained why O’Malley will defeat Dvalishvili at Riyadh Season Noche UFC…

    Tim Welch Reveals Why It Is Hard To Train For Sean O’Malley And What Makes Merab Dvalishvili An Intimidating Opponent

    O’Malley’s coach Welch reviewed Dvalishvili’s latest training footage and other antics on his official YouTube channel recently. He pointed out that “The Machine” is a tough opponent due to his relentless pace, level changes, and cardio.

    However, he could not help but notice how Dvalishvili can be hit while shooting for takedowns. On top of that, he loses balance when he punches going forward making him extremely vulnerable against an accurate striker like O’Malley.

    “Loses balance a little bit on the punches. Falls forward and that’s something that definitely could get him in trouble here and it’s too close to the fight now to fix. Really lunging in here, throwing the overhand right, bringing his back foot with him which is another thing that could get you in trouble. You saw it with Aljo.”

    Welch believes that “The Machine” cannot improve his balance in the coming weeks, and the UFC bantamweight champion will capitalize on it. The Sterling fight is a good example of “Suga” catching opponents as they lunge towards him.

    According to the coach, it is hard to find training partners who can properly replicate O’Malley’s style during sparring. This should be another key factor in the favor of the champ.

    “I’m thankful that I’m not having to be a trainer training someone against sugar because it would just be so hard to find sparring partners that can do anything remotely close to him. And then you find sparring partners that try to mimic him. They do their best at mimicking him.”

    Although Welch is confident about O’Malley winning via knockout, he explained why Dvalishvili is not an easy opponent at all. He breathes through his mouth for long durations without any impact on his pace. He can take quite a few shots as well so “Suga” must be prepared for the challenger forcing takedowns on him.

    “Merab doesn’t even like, control his breath. He doesn’t even think about controlling his breath. He just, he’ll just breathe in, he’ll be mouth breathing the whole time and he’ll be able to keep up the pace. That’s one thing that’s scary about him. He’ll be able to just keep up the pace the whole time. Just at that, frantic breathing, frantic pace, that’s one of the things that make him really dangerous.”

  • Sean O’Malley ‘Annoyed-ish’ At Noche UFC Fight Promotion After Getting Nod To Headline Over Holloway vs. Topuria, Conor McGregor

    Sean O’Malley ‘Annoyed-ish’ At Noche UFC Fight Promotion After Getting Nod To Headline Over Holloway vs. Topuria, Conor McGregor

    Sean O’Malley will defend his UFC bantamweight championship against Merab Dvalishvili at Riyadh Season Noche UFC in the Las Vegas Sphere on September 14, 2024. The event will celebrate Mexican Independence Day and UFC CEO Dana White has promised unprecedented production quality.

    With a spectacular win at The Sphere, O’Malley can significantly boost his popularity in MMA circles and draw new fans. However, his opponent has won ten consecutive fights in the UFC with relentless pressure and dominant wrestling.

    Amidst the gradually increasing hype for his next fight, “Suga” revealed his mixed feelings about headlining a massive card like UFC 306…

    Sean O’Malley Expects The UFC To Promote His Fight, Not Just The Sphere In The Lead-Up To UFC 306

    O’Malley talked about the opportunity to headline a card as massive as UFC 306 on Michael Bisping’s Believe You Me podcast recently. With UFC 305 done and dusted, the UFC bantamweight champ acknowledges that Riyadh Season Noche UFC will soon get all the eyes.

    “I’m very excited. Now that it’s like, you know, the last fight, the pay-per-view is last weekend so now it’s, you know, it’s always the next pay-per-view, that’s being talked about so now that that fight’s over, we got The Sphere coming up.”

    “Suga” realizes his fight with Dvalishvili is the UFC 306 main event over Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway, now scheduled for UFC 308. Conor McGregor was also rumored to be added to the card. He’s naturally honored to get this chance from the UFC but expects the promotions to improve as the event approaches.

    O’Malley highlighted that the UFC has promoted The Sphere and the event’s theme more than the fighters, including him and Dvalishvili. However, he looks forward to things getting better once promotion on social media begins.

    “A little annoyed-ish about the promotion of The Sphere. The Sphere is the show. I’m the one doing interviews, not The Sphere. Let’s promote Sean vs. Merab, the Suga show. I’m the one fighting let’s go baby. But, you know, it is what it is. The Sphere is going to be f*****g legendary, it’ll be epic, it’ll be cool. But yeah I think these next few weeks are really going to, you know, things are still going to start coming out. ESPN Will start posting, UFC will Start Posting. So, it’s going to feel big soon.

    “Suga” leaves no opportunity to take sly digs at his opponents through funny skits and memes on social media platforms. He’s also fulfilling his media responsibilities as a UFC champion, which explains his aforementioned expectations from the promotion.

  • Aljamain Sterling Calls Out Dana White’s ‘Over The Top Reaction’ To Merab Dvalishvili Publicly Posting Training Cut

    Aljamain Sterling Calls Out Dana White’s ‘Over The Top Reaction’ To Merab Dvalishvili Publicly Posting Training Cut

    Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling doesn’t believe Dana White had an appropriate reaction to Merab Dvalishvili’s recent cut.

    Dvalishvili, who is set to challenge current 135-pound kingpin Sean O’Malley for the title in the main event of Noche UFC/UFC 306 at the Sphere next month, was scolded by White this week after he posted a video online showing a facial laceration.

    The Georgian uploaded a number of videos of the cut he suffered 25 days out from his first championship opportunity, raising slight concern in the community about his status for the September 14 card.

    “The Machine” has since clarified that nothing will prevent him from making the walk to do battle with “Sugar” in Las Vegas, but that doesn’t mean everyone thinks the decision to publicly display the cut was smart.

    Chief among them was the UFC CEO, who slammed Dvalishvili during the press conference following Tuesday’s episode of Dana White’s Contender Series.

    “The whole world knows about Merab’s cut. He posted it. Our guys are so dumb, it’s next-level unbelievable,” White said. “All the stuff I talk about boxing, what I will give boxing, is when something happens in a camp, man, let me tell you what, it does not leak. Our guys can’t f*cking wait to throw it up on social media.

    “It’s a small cut. It’s no big deal. But obviously, it needed to be posted,” White continued. “Why the f*ck would you want him to know that? It is next-level stupid. Some of these guys are so stupid it’s mind-boggling. It’s unbelievable.”

    Those comments, however, didn’t sit well with one of Dvalishvili’s closest friends and teammates, and somebody who’s had his own fair share of back and forth with White in the past…

    Sterling Defends Teammate Dvalishvili From White’s Wrath

    When it comes to rocky relationships between fighter and higher-ups, not many have had public disagreements with the likes of White quite like Sterling.

    The now-featherweight contender has taken issue with comments regarding his desire not to fight Dvalishvili while he was bantamweight champ, as well as what he saw as pressure to accept a quick turnaround to fight O’Malley last August.

    Suffice to say, “Funk Master” has never been one to shy away from speaking out against things said by the UFC CEO. And that trend continued this week, with Sterling leaping to the defense of Dvalishvili following White’s scathing reaction to the post detailing the Georgian’s laceration in training.

    “Everyone is making a much bigger deal over ‘the little cut’, even the boss. Merab shares his stories of training camp, the good, the bad, the ugly, and ppl LOVE him for it. There’s nothing ‘stupid’ about it, period,” Sterling wrote. “He’s training, and will show up Sept 14, like he always does. Is this about betting lines?? Is it about a fight cancelation?? Respectfully, this reaction was a bit over the top IMHO.”

    Dvalishvili has since shown his return to the training room on social media, as he gears up for the chance to bring O’Malley’s reign to an end and avenge his teammate’s knockout loss to the striking specialist in Boston last year.

  • Former UFC Champ Backs Dana White On Merab Dvalishvili Revealing His Cut Ahead Of Sean O’Malley Fight: ‘Not Everything Needs To Go On Social Media!’

    Former UFC Champ Backs Dana White On Merab Dvalishvili Revealing His Cut Ahead Of Sean O’Malley Fight: ‘Not Everything Needs To Go On Social Media!’

    In arguably the biggest fight of his career, Merab Dvalishvili will challenge Sean O’Malley for the UFC bantamweight championship. The bout will headline the Riyadh Season Noche UFC event at the Las Vegas Sphere on September 14, 2024.

    While O’Malley avenged his only MMA loss to Marlon Vera in his first title defense, Dvalishvili is riding a 10-fight win streak in the UFC. The contender holds wins over big names like Marlon Moraes, José Aldo, and Petr Yan. This explains the hype behind the bantamweight title bout.

    However, the main event was temporarily in jeopardy as Dvalishvili revealed a cut under his eye. UFC President Dana White wasn’t happy about the situation, and Michael Bisping couldn’t agree more…

    Michael Bisping Explains Why Merab Dvalishvili Shouldn’t Have Posted His Cut Before Sean O’Malley Fight

    Bisping discussed Dvalishvili’s injury on his official YouTube channel recently. He highlighted that fighters now usually post most of their life on social media to increase engagement with fans. Naturally, this wasn’t the case a couple of decades back, and being silent about injuries during camps was preferred.

    “Dana’s right when he talks about boxers. Of course, he’s probably talking about the boxers of his generation. Dana knows a lot about boxing as well as mixed martial arts of course. Back in the day, social media wasn’t a thing. The new generation, though, they live on social media. Your entire life is on social media”

    The former UFC middleweight champ then explained why White was right in being upset with Dvalishvili’s behavior. For starters, a crisp striker like “Suga” can easily target the cut and make “The Machine” bleed early on in the fight.

    “I tell you what, if I was fighting for a main event against Sean O’Malley to become the UFC champion of the world, and I got cut, I would not post it on social media. I’m not talking s**t on Merab. I think Merab is awesome, he’s a great guy, he’s an incredible fighter. The performance against Cejudo solidified that he is the next man in line, but not everything needs to go on social media!”

    Bisping also looked back at major injuries he sustained before some of his biggest UFC fights. He had stitches near his eye before the first fight with Luke Rockhold and infamously broke his ribs a week before the Georges St-Pierre fight. “The Count” kept these injuries secret and expects modern-day UFC fighters to follow suit.

  • What’s Next After UFC 305? Full Confirmed Noche UFC Main Card For The Sphere On September 14

    What’s Next After UFC 305? Full Confirmed Noche UFC Main Card For The Sphere On September 14

    UFC 305 is in the books, meaning attention will soon turn to the mixed martial arts leader’s next pay-per-view offering.

    The promotion was in Perth, Australia, last week, where the RAC Arena played host to a number of intriguing matchups for its latest visit Down Under. Of note were victories for UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis, former interim flyweight title challenger Kai Kara-France, and lightweight fan favorite Dan Hooker.

    While the aftermath of the August 17 card is currently the talk of the town, it won’t be long until focus sways to the next PPV, and from the middleweight title picture to the bantamweight and women’s flyweight championship conversations.

    At Noche UFC (UFC 306), an event set to celebrate Mexican Independance Day inside the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada, on September 14, reigning 135-pound kingpin Sean O’Malley will compete for the second time this year. After defeating Marlon Vera, “Sugar” will make his second defense of the gold in a long-awaited grudge match against top contender Merab Dvalishvili.

    There will also be title stakes in the co-headliner, as flyweight queen Alexa Grasso completes her trilogy with the legendary Valentina Shevchenko. The pair previously fought to a draw at the first installment of Noche UFC last September and have since coached opposite one another on The Ultimate Fighter.

    Ortega & Lopes Among Those Setting The Stage For Title Headliners At UFC 30

    Before O’Malley defends his championship and the promotion’s top female flyweights run it back again, a mix of veterans and prospects will take to the Octagon looking to make the most of their positions on the major card.

    That includes former two-time featherweight title challenger Brian Ortega and the up-and-coming Diego Lopes, who will give their matchup a second chance at making it to the Octagon. After a same-day withdrawal from “T-City” saw the Mexico-residing Brazilian face and defeat Dan Ige at International Fight Week instead, Lopes will have the opportunity to crack the top five in rearranged clash with Ortega.

    Prior to that, highly touted Mexican prospects Daniel Zellhuber and Ronaldo Rodriguez will open the main card against Esteban Ribovics and Ode’ Osbourne, respectively, while notable names like Irena Aldana and Raul Rosas Jr. will feature on the prelims.

    See below for the full UFC 306 card, as it stands.

    Main Card:

    • Sean O’Malley (C) vs. Merab Dvalishvili (bantamweight championship main event)
    • Alexa Grasso (C) vs. Valentina Shevchenko (flyweight championship co-main event)
    • Brian Ortega vs. Diego Lopes (featherweight)
    • Daniel Zellhuber vs. Estaban Ribovics (lightweight)
    • Ronaldo Rodriguez vs. Ode’ Osbourne (flyweight)

    Preliminary Card:

    • Manuel Torres vs. Ignacio Bahamondes (lightweight)
    • Irena Aldana vs. Norma Dumont (women’s bantamweight)
    • Edgar Cháirez vs. Kevin Borjas (flyweight)
    • Yazmin Jauregui vs. Ketlen Souza (women’s strawweight)
    • Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Aoriqileng (bantamweight)
    Diego Lopes
    Image: UFC.com
  • Demetrious Johnson Discusses Bantamweight Title Picture After UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi: ‘Can’t Wait To See All Three Of These Guys Lock Horns…’

    Demetrious Johnson Discusses Bantamweight Title Picture After UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi: ‘Can’t Wait To See All Three Of These Guys Lock Horns…’

    In the main event of this past weekend’s UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi, a new top bantamweight contender emerged.

    Umar Nurmagomedov was able to leapfrog the majority of the top ten at 135-pounds by defeating Cory Sandhagen over five rounds.

    Many have expected for a long time that Nurmagomedov just needed the opportunity to show that he was an elite level talent and that finally happened him for on Saturday night.

    With Sean O’Malley set to defend the bantamweight title in the main event of UFC 306 next month against Merab Dvalishvili, the shadow of a new contender looms overhead and makes for some exciting options.

    Demetrious Johnson Says He’s Excited To See Umar Nurmagomedov Face Sean O’Malley & Merab Dvalishvili

    In his review of the main event, former UFC and current ONE Championship flyweight king Demetrious Johnson said that he’s excited to see how this division plays out in the coming months.

    He was left very impressed by Nurmagomedov’s performance and believes that he should be the next in line to face the winner of the upcoming title fight.

    “Mighty Mouse” spoke about how either option of O’Malley or Dvalishvili taking on Nurmagomedov in a title defense makes for an engaging match-up.

    Whichever way it ends up unfolding, Johnson is excited to now have another name in the mix at the top end of bantamweight.

    “I like him [Nurmagomedov] taking him [O’Malley] to the ground, I don’t think he’ll be able to get Merab down, I’m not sure. But, I think this match-up, whoever wins this one fighting Umar, I think it’s the right thing to do and I can’t wait to see all three of these guys get the opportunity to lock horns each other or one of them fights the other one.”

    Read also: Javier Mendez Chooses Between Khabib & Umar Nurmagomedov In Striking, Grappling, Mental Toughness, & Chin

  • UFC Commentator Heaps Praise On Umar Nurmagomedov: ‘He’ll Be Favorite Against Sean Or Merab’

    UFC Commentator Heaps Praise On Umar Nurmagomedov: ‘He’ll Be Favorite Against Sean Or Merab’

    The biggest fight of Umar Nurmagomedov’s career led to his most impressive performance to date in the main event this past weekend.

    There’s been hype surrounding him for a long time now but in an opponent like Cory Sandhagen, he was facing his most skilled, dangerous, and experienced opponent.

    Nurmagomedov got his hand raised at the end of five rounds in Abu Dhabi and could have leapfrogged the rest of the division with this win.

    He may have been holding the #11-ranking in the division but the writing has been on the wall for some time now in terms of his ranking not reflecting his ability.

    UFC commentator Jon Anik believes that even with Sandhagen being his first big win, he would expect Nurmagomedov to be a betting favorite over the two men that are set to fight over the bantamweight title next month.

    Jon Anik Believes That Umar Nurmagomedov Will Be A Betting Favorite When He Fights For The Title

    In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Anik was asked about Nurmagomedov’s win and who he thinks he will end up fighting for the bantamweight title which is set to be contested between Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306, in September.

    The UFC commentator didn’t pick a winner in that fight for obvious reasons, but he did say that Nurmagomedov could be the oddsmakers pick in either match-up.

    He started by complimenting the undefeated contender both for his skills inside the Octagon and his conduct outside of it.

    “Umar is like one of the most impressive human beings, fighters, that I’ve met in any walk of life. His ability to connect with people in English already is insane relative to what it was like 24 months ago and he’s always banging on himself in terms of his ability to speak English. He’s fantastic. He’ll be favored against Sean or Merab, I feel pretty convicted in saying that. I just don’t think a lot of guys would be able to dominate Cory Sandhagen in that way. With respect to Cory, and my kids distracting me, I gave Umar all five rounds so impressed doesn’t even begin to describe it.”

    Judge Mike Bell agreed with Anik’s viewpoint, awarding all five rounds to Nurmagomedov on the scorecards whilst Ben Cartlidge and David Lethaby both gave Sandhagen one of the five.

    Read also: VIDEO: UFC Champ Sean O’Malley Reacts To ‘Close Fight’ Between Umar Nurmagomedov & Cory Sandhagen

  • Khabib Names Who He’d Rather Umar Nurmagomedov Fight For The UFC Bantamweight Title Out Of Sean O’Malley & Merab Dvalishvili

    Khabib Names Who He’d Rather Umar Nurmagomedov Fight For The UFC Bantamweight Title Out Of Sean O’Malley & Merab Dvalishvili

    After having his own run in the UFC as a dominant undefeated champion years ago, Khabib Nurmagomedov is now helping to mentor others toward their own reigns. Islam Makhachev already has secured the lightweight title, and now cousin Umar Nurmagomedov may be next.

    Umar secured a clear decision win over Cory Sandhagen in the main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi. The bout seemingly served as a bantamweight title eliminator, and “The Young Eagle” is most likely next in line to challenge the winner of the Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili title fight that takes place at The Sphere on September 14.

    Following Umar’s win, Khabib Nurmagomedov was asked about his thoughts on who his cousin might have a better matchup with when it comes to claiming the gold. The former lightweight champion says the undefeated up-and-comer will be prepared regardless of who is holding the title.

    That’s not to say he doesn’t have a preference, though…

    Khabib Nurmagomedov Says Cousin Umar Nurmagomedov Is Ready To Be UFC Champion

    “I want Merab to be honest, because he’s from Georgia. [Dagestan and Georgia are] neighbors. I want Merab to win because it’s going to be a very interesting fight. White papakha vs. black papakha. But if O’Malley wins, it’s going to be white papakha vs. pink papakha.

    “He’s going to be good competition for O’Malley. A very good fight, high-level fight for all of the fans all over the world. It’s not easy to beat Umar. And it’s not easy to beat Merab or Sean O’Malley. This is high level. Anything can happen, but in my opinion, Umar is ready.”

    Umar Nurmagomedov is now 6-0 in the UFC (and 18-0 overall) since entering the promotion in 2021.

    O’Malley, meanwhile, won the bantamweight championship by defeating Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292. He retained the title against Marlon “Chito” Vera at UFC 299 in Miami this past March.

    For his part, Dvalishvili has won 10 straight fights, clinching himself a title shot after defeating former champion Henry Cejudo at UFC 298 in February.