Sean O’Malley sees loads of choices for Merab Dvalishvili, together with one he thinks the UFC bantamweight champion is actively avoiding.
Dvalishvili defeated O’Malley at UFC 306 this previous September to assert the title, and it appeared his first challenger can be the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov – at present No. 2 at 135 kilos within the MMA Preventing World Rankings – who was in attendance for the struggle. Nonetheless, Dvalishvili has been reluctant to call Nurmagomedov as his most popular challenger, going so far as to say Nurmagomedov was “scared” when it was rumored that Nurmagomedov had booked a struggle with Track Yadong as a substitute (that matchup finally fizzled).
On his TimboSugarShow podcast, O’Malley accuses Dvalishvili of being the one that’s scared.
“Umar desires to struggle Merab in January,” O’Malley mentioned. “Petr [Yan] desires to struggle Merab in March. I need to struggle Merab in April. Merab is totally shitting himself petrified of Umar. He doesn’t need to struggle Umar. Now he’s saying he desires to struggle Petr, he wished to struggle me.
“Petr received 50-45’d by Merab. 50-45.”
O’Malley point out of Petr Yan comes off of Yan’s good efficiency in opposition to Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC Macau this previous Saturday. Like O’Malley, Yan is a former bantamweight champion, and like O’Malley he misplaced a unanimous determination to Dvalishvili after they first fought in March 2023.
Dvalishvili praised Yan following the Figueiredo win, suggesting they’ve a rematch at UFC 313 in March.
Dvalishvili had additionally beforehand talked about eager to struggle O’Malley once more, although that matchup is probably the most distant risk for the champion proper now with O’Malley at present recovering from hip surgical procedure.
O’Malley is raring to return, however is but to renew full coaching.
“I can’t wrestle but,” O’Malley mentioned. “I can transfer round, I can hit mitts a bit bit, f*cking shadow field, field spar a bit bit, can’t grapple in any respect but. Most likely about three weeks out from having the ability to begin drilling. Obtained to f*cking maintain this nut. Hitting mitts, shifting round, it’s no situation. It’s the grappling and shit that hurts.”
