Merab Dvalishvili is about to get the biggest test of his career to date.
UFC 278 just got a lot deeper with the likely addition of a pivotal bantamweight matchup. Ariel Helwani is reporting that the promotion wants to match up former featherweight champ Jose Aldo and rising star Merab Dvalishvili to the August 20th event.
Aldo (31-7, 13-6 UFC) has picked up three straight victories since falling short in a 135-pound title fight in mid-2020. The latest win was a strong decision nod over Rob Font in December. Aldo is current the number three contender at bantamweight in the official UFC rankings.
Dvalishvili (14-4, 7-2 UFC) extended his win streak to seven with a September TKO win over Marlon Moraes. It was his first finish in the UFC after picking up decision victories in the prior six contests. Dvalishvili is currently ranked number six at bantamweight.
UFC 278 goes down in the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, and will be headlined by a welterweight title fight between champion Kamaru Usman and top contender Leon Edwards.