UFC president, Dana White has claimed it would be a “really bad idea” for UFC Las Vegas main event victor, Merab Dvalishvili to avoid a championship fight with his training partner, Aljamain Sterling next, after the Geogian dispatched former titleholder, Petr Yan with relative ease last night in ‘Sin City’.
Headlining the promotion’s trip to The Theater at Virgin Hotels, surging #3 ranked division contender, Dvalishvili pitched a clear shutout against former undisputed champion, Yan – notching a one-sided unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45) win on his belt over the Dudinka native.
Both pre and post-fight, Tbilisi native, Merab Dvalishvili stressed how if he worked his way to a title offing in the future while Serra-Longo MMA teammate, Sterling still sat atop the bantamweight throne, he would refuse to fight the Uniondale native.
Dana White issues title warning to Merab Dvalishvili
However, UFC leader, White has claimed that should Dvalishvili wait for Sterling to potentially pursue a featherweight title shot in the future, he would be making a sizeable error.
“That’s a personal decision he (Merab Dvalishvili) needs to make,” Dana White told assembled media following a Power Slap League event. “If that’s what he wants to do, I can tell you how that story ends. It’s not a good ending to that story. But, he’s a big boy, he can figure that out on his own.”
“You can still be friends and want what your friend has,” Dana White explained. “It would be a really bad idea for Merab to go down that path [avoiding Aljamain Sterling].”
As for Sterling, the undisputed bantamweight champion – who was cornering Dvalishvili in his judging win over Yan last night, is scheduled to headline UFC 288 in May in Newark, New Jersey – attempting to land his third defense of the division throne against the returning former two-division champion, Henry Cejudo.
As part of his now-nine-fight winning spree, Dvalishvili has defeated the likes of John Dodson, Marlon Moraes, and former undisputed featherweight champion, Jose Aldo.