UFC bantamweight Merab Dvalishvili backtracks decision to never fight teammate and friend, Aljamain Sterling.
Prior to Sterling’s loss to Sean O’Malley, he and Merab Dvalishvili were widely considered the best two 135lber’s in the promotion. However, the pair have trained together for years at Serra-Longo Fight Team and are close friends.
Both men, and their coaches, have said that they would not be willing to fight one another citing their relationship.
“One thing is for sure: we’re never going to fight. Me and Aljo, we’re never going to fight each other,” Dvalishvili said before his bout with Marlon Moraes.
“To do that and to really try to fight each other and try to hurt each other, I go meet his family, he goes and meets my family. He goes to my country, Jamaica. I go to his country, Georgia. Dude, it’s just not even right,” Sterling said earlier this year.
Later in this same interview, Sterling did say that he would consider the fight if they offered him a big pay cheque, employing that it would need to be rather sizeable
Merab Dvalishvili makes u-turn
Now it seems though that Dvalishvili, who has been the one to strongly defend the position since Sterling became champion, would in fact be willing to take the fight. Talking on the MMA Hour, Dvalishvili stated that the UFC never made an official approach to make the fight and that he would consider it if the money were right.
“UFC never offered Aljo or me to fight each other,” Dvalishvili said. “I don’t understand why they complain to us (about) not fighting. Yes, of course I say I don’t wanna fight Aljo, and I don’t wanna fight Aljo. But if UFC offered fight, and UFC maybe offered good money, and we are maybe in a situation where there is no one else that we can fight, then maybe me and Aljo, we sit like always and maybe we can fight.” (H/T MMA News)
Continuing, Dvashvili reiterated that like Sterling, the money could entice him.
“But now they make a big deal, like, Aljo is always booked,” Dvalishvili continued. Aljo versus Petr Yan, then next TJ Dillashaw, after Henry Cejudo, and then they make him come back quick and give him (Sean) O’Malley. They never offered myself! They never offered me Aljo. I don’t understand why people complain. Of course I don’t wanna fight Aljo, like I said. But like Aljo said in one of his interviews, if UFC offered money, yeah, maybe we fight if there is no one else.”
Who would win, Merab Dvalishvili or Aljamain Sterling?