Whilst preparations are at full tilt ahead of his return at Noche UFC next month – bantamweight star, Merab Dvalishvili could not help himself but engage with a particular fan and charge him in the audience during yesterday’s Craig Jones Invitational event in Las Vegas.
Dvalishvili, the current number one ranked bantamweight challenger, is slated to return to action in the main event of Noche UFC next month – taking on undisputed champion, Sean O’Malley in the pair’s heated grudge match at the Las Vegas Sphere.
And in the midst of a stunning 10-fight winning spree since he snapped a two-fight losing run, Georgian contender, Dvalishvili most recently earned an impressive decision success against former two-weight champion, Henry Cejudo in the pair’s title-eliminator back in February at UFC 298.
Merab Dvalishvili chases heckler at CGI event
Attending last night’s CGI event in ‘Sin City’ – Dvalishvili, who infamously climbed the railings and scaled the stands in pursuit of a trash-talking fan at a UFC event, took the same approach with a heckler of his overnight – grabbing him by the hat before he was corralled by security officials.
UFC fighter Merab Dvalishvili just jumped the gate and grabbed a heckler by the hair
pic.twitter.com/5Lfmk2pusI
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) August 17, 2024
Set to sport special edition Noche UFC fight kits for his title fight against surging Montana native, O’Malley next month at UFC 306 – the Tbilisi native was engaged in a particular rivalry with the champion’s head coach, Tim Welch – whom he labelled a “snake”.
“I have a problem with his (Sean O’Malley’s) coach, Tim (Welch),” Merab Dvalishvili said. “He was very disrespectful to me and he was doing stupid and not respectful things. Any real coach should never do that, whatever he was doing. Try do the same thing in basketball or let’s try to do the same thing in a football game. They will give you a disqualification.”
“Only in the UFC can you get out of this,” Merab Dvalishvili explained. “Coach your guy, coach your fighter. Don’t be disrespectful to the opponent. What kind of people does this? Only a snake person does this.”