Surging bantamweight contender, Merab Dvalishvili faces a race against time if he is to face former two-weight champion, Henry Cejudo in their rumored UFC 292 clash in August – as the number one ranked division contender, recovers from recent surgery to address a hand injury.
Dvalishvili, the current #1 ranked bantamweight contender, most recently featured atop a UFC Vegas 70 back in March against former undisputed champion, Petr Yan – landing himself as the number one contender at 135lbs with a dominant wrestling display en route to a unanimous decision victory.
Knocking back calls for him to fight fellow Serra-Longo MMA standout, Aljamain Sterling for undisputed bantamweight gold in the future, Merab Dvalishvili was warned away from avoiding a fight with his friend by UFC president, Dana White.
In the aftermath of UFC 288 earlier this month, former undisputed flyweight and bantamweight titleholder, Cejudo called for a fight with the aforenoted, Merab Dvalishvili, following the Olympian’s title challenge loss to Sterling.
And suggesting an appearance against the Georgian at UFC 292 in August in Boston, Massachusetts – it appears Cejudo may have to arrange alternative plans for the TD Garden pay-per-view.
Hey @danawhite, I'm ready to fight Sean O'Malley at UFC 292 if Aljo Sterling keeps playing games. If Aljo does decide to show up, I'm willing to weigh in as the backup in Boston.
I NEED my gold back
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FULL VIDEO: https://t.co/qnORRcLDfe pic.twitter.com/c8xlUY87mN
— Henry Cejudo (@HenryCejudo) May 26, 2023
Merab Dvalishvili set for an extended spell on the sidelines
As per a report from MMA Fighting, following confirmation from Dvalishvili’s manager, Oren Hodak, Dvalishvili will be sidelined for 10 to 12 weeks minimum, before he can return to training on a full-time basis.
In the midst of a nine-fight winning run, Tbilisi native, Dvalishvili has landed notable victories over former champion, Yan recently, as well as ex-featherweight titleholder, Jose Aldo, and former bantamweight title chaser, Marlon Moraes.
Preparing for a potential scuppered fight with Dvalishvili on the East Coast this summer, Cejudo also previously offered to fight incoming title challenger, Sean O’Malley for interim gold at UFC 292 in Boston.