Georges St-Pierre’s coach, Firas Zahabi, recently showered Merab Dvalishvili with high praise for his performance against Sean O’Malley at Noche UFC 306.
“The Machine” lived his dream of becoming the UFC bantamweight champion, overpowering defending titleholder O’Malley in a commanding display last Saturday at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
Dvalishvili put constant forward pressure on “Suga” from the start, shutting down his explosive striking game while overwhelming him with a flurry of takedowns, controlling the majority of the bout with his grappling dominance.
An impressive performance on the biggest stage of them all
@MerabDvalishvil is the NEW bantamweight champion of the world
[ #UFC306 | @RiyadhSeason | #NocheUFC ] pic.twitter.com/yh6ZIfkOcw
— UFC (@ufc) September 15, 2024
Heading into the fight, Dvalishvili was viewed as the underdog, with many expecting him to be outclassed by O’Malley’s dynamic striking. However, the 33-year-old Georgian defied all odds.
Zahabi believes Dvalishvili executed his game plan flawlessly, allowing him to dominate the bout…
Zahabi Says Dvalishvili Didn’t Throw A ‘Sloppy Punch’ O’Malley Could Counter
In a recent video on Tristar Gym’s YouTube channel, Zahabi shared his thoughts on the Noche UFC 306 main event between O’Malley and Dvalishvili. The acclaimed MMA coach praised “The Machine” for his precision and tactical awareness, noting how Dvalishvili expertly stayed out of O’Malley’s striking range.
Zahabi highlighted that the newly crowned champion didn’t throw a single punch that “Suga” could have exploited for an easy counter.
“When it comes to fighting, that guy [Dvalishvili] is a genius. The guy is really, really smart,” Zahabi said. “His timing was correct, his shot selections were very intelligent. He started off with kicking high. He did everything but throw a punch that you can counter. He did everything except throw a sloppy punch, which O’Malley would have cleaned up.
Zahabi applauded Dvalishvili’s exceptional cardio, noting that his incredible endurance keeps him relentless throughout the fight. However, he did acknowledge that despite this, Dvalishvili’s inability to secure more finishes remains a point of critique.
“The only thing you can predict about Merab is he’s gonna shoot for the takedowns, and his cardio is unmatchable. His cardio is ridiculous, guys. The good thing about Merab is his cardio is amazing, his personality is amazing. The bad thing about Merab is he doesn’t finish; he doesn’t even get close to a finish.”
With his recent victory, Dvalishvili extended his impressive winning streak to 11, adding to his résumé triumphs over former champions like Jose Aldo, Henry Cejudo, and Petr Yan.
It remains to be seen who “The Machine” will face in his first title defense, but for now, undefeated rising star Umar Nurmagomedov appears to be the leading contender.
- Read More: Umar Nurmagomedov’s Coach On Merab Dvalishvili: ‘Cain Velasquez In The Bantamweight Division’
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