Toronto’s upcoming UFC 297 card could feature a bantamweight contender match between Dvalishvili and Cejudo … if Merab agrees to take the fight.
Prepare to be shocked: the UFC doesn’t seem to be interested in Merab Dvalishvili fighting Sean O’Malley next.
The tough Georgian fighter has been calling for a bantamweight title fight against “Suga” since O’Malley took out his friend and training partner Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292. O’Malley hasn’t sounded particularly enthusiastic about that match-up, and has his eye on a money rematch against Marlon “Chito” Vera. The UFC reportedly has other plans for Merab, and they involve fighting Henry Cejudo.
That’s according to Cejudo’s manager Ali Abdelaziz.
“Him and Henry were offered December, I don’t think that’s gonna happen,” Abdelaziz said in a new interview with The Schmo. “Now the offer is in January. Henry agreed, of course, cuz he know Merab is the guy to beat to fight for the title. And we’re gonna see. Merab, he’s out there, he want maybe something different. He earned what he ask for, I cannot say he doesn’t deserve [a title shot] because he’s been on a great winning streak.”
“But at the end of the day, Henry said yes, and we’re waiting on Merab. Merab can say yes, can say no, it’s up to him.”
Ali’s client “Triple C” was, as usual, less politically correct in his phrasing of the situation.
“Hey Merab, you got hair transplants on your head, now get some on your balls,” Cejudo wrote on Instagram. “Sign the contract!”
Asked if he thought O’Malley would fight Vera next, Ali shrugged.
“I don’t really care who Sean fights,” he said. “I care about who Henry fights. If he fight Merab, I believe the winner should get a title shot. But also, I’m not Dana White. I don’t make this kind of call, and that’s it.”
A January fight would mean Dvalishvili and Cejudo would end up on the UFC 297 card set for Toronto, Canada. There have been rumors from less reputable news sources that O’Malley and Vera would also compete at the same event, but “Suga” has declared that ‘fake news.’ He did sound hyped when the same outlet reported Merab vs. Henry, though.
Holy short that will a sweet fight. https://t.co/iOfCUoOmrd
— Sean O’Malley (@SugaSeanMMA) October 5, 2023
“Holy short that will [be] a sweet fight,” he wrote.
As for Dvalishvili, he was recently on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani and didn’t mention an offer to fight Henry Cejudo at all. That may be because he was focused 100% on trying to lock in an O’Malley title shot, even if it meant being relegated to backup for “Chito” vs. “Suga.”
“The right thing is I should fight next for the title,” he said. “I have no problem to wait. And if they really, really make this fight, at least they should put me as a backup fighter.”
While “The Machine” has certainly done enough to earn a title shot, the UFC isn’t a big fan of letting guys sit on the sideline and wait for a title shot. Even guys on nine-fight win streaks. And hey, if we had to choose between no Dvalishvili for several months or Dvalishvili vs. Cejudo in January, we’ll go with January.