Tag: Merab Dvalishvili

Sean O’Malley Promises To Reopen Merab Dvalishvili Cut At Noche UFC: ‘The Dude’s Just Not That Smart’

UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley has seemingly made a mental note of the cut Merab Dvalishvili suffered in training. O’Malley will put his gold on the line in the main event of Noche UFC/UFC 306 next weekend, topping the lineup alongside Dvalishvili for the promotion’s second Mexican Independence Day celebration. Their bout marks the main […]

Continue Reading Sean O’Malley Promises To Reopen Merab Dvalishvili Cut At Noche UFC: ‘The Dude’s Just Not That Smart’ at MMA News.

UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley has seemingly made a mental note of the cut Merab Dvalishvili suffered in training.

O’Malley will put his gold on the line in the main event of Noche UFC/UFC 306 next weekend, topping the lineup alongside Dvalishvili for the promotion’s second Mexican Independence Day celebration.

Their bout marks the main attraction of the highly anticipated event at the Sphere in Las Vegas. But the lead-up to the card was briefly struck by cancellation fears after Dvalishvili posted a cut from camp on social media a few weeks out.

While the Georgian challenger insists his title shot was never in jeopardy and has since returned to usual training, that didn’t stop UFC CEO Dana White from publicly slamming “The Machine.”

“The whole world knows about Merab’s cut. He posted it. Our guys are so dumb, it’s next-level unbelievable,” White said during a DWCS press conference. “All the stuff I talk about boxing, what I will give boxing, is when something happens in a camp, man, let me tell you what, it does not leak. Our guys can’t f*cking wait to throw it up on social media.

“It’s a small cut. It’s no big deal. But obviously, it needed to be posted,” White continued. “Why the f*ck would you want him to know that? It is next-level stupid. Some of these guys are so stupid it’s mind-boggling. It’s unbelievable.”

And we can seemingly count O’Malley among those who agree with White’s take…

O’Malley Puts Dvalishvili’s Cut In His Crosshairs

During a recent interview with Kevin Iole, O’Malley looked ahead to his sophomore bantamweight title defense, touching on one of the main topics that has arisen in the latter part of the Noche UFC build-up.

Many suggested Dvalishvili made a mistake by publicly displaying a cut for his opponent to target, and “Sugar” backed that up by insisting he will reopen the blemish at some point in the PPV main event on Sept. 14.

“I am 100 percent going to open up that cut, whether it’s healed or not,” O’Malley said. “I don’t know how much it can heal. I’ve never really had any bad cuts, so I’m not sure. But that’s the left side of his face. This right hand doesn’t miss.

“I’ll probably accidentally hit his nose before I hit that cut. That nose just kinda takes up like 85 percent of his face, so I’m gonna try to get around his face and get to that cut,” O’Malley continued. “Dana referring to him as one of the — I don’t remember what he said, one of the stupidest people or beyond stupid. Whatever he said was pretty accurate. I mean, the dude’s just not that smart of a guy.”

O’Malley will look to inflict that damage, as well as much more, en route to breaking Dvalishvili’s lengthy winning run, both stalling the Georgian’s title ambitions and retaining his place on the bantamweight throne in the process.

Continue Reading Sean O’Malley Promises To Reopen Merab Dvalishvili Cut At Noche UFC: ‘The Dude’s Just Not That Smart’ at MMA News.

Merab Dvalishvili Clarifies Staph Status After He Is Interrupted Mid-Interview By UFC Doctors

A post on social media from Merab Dvalishvili had the MMA fans putting on their detective hats to try and scope out a concern. Ahead of his bantamweight title fight against Sean O’Malley at UFC 306, the challenger shared on Instagram that he was releasing his first apparel collection in collaboration with Takedown. Fans quickly […]

Continue Reading Merab Dvalishvili Clarifies Staph Status After He Is Interrupted Mid-Interview By UFC Doctors at MMA News.

A post on social media from Merab Dvalishvili had the MMA fans putting on their detective hats to try and scope out a concern.

Ahead of his bantamweight title fight against Sean O’Malley at UFC 306, the challenger shared on Instagram that he was releasing his first apparel collection in collaboration with Takedown.

Fans quickly made note of a mark on Dvalishvili’s left arm that looked like it could be a staph infection, which has been a reoccurring issue in some big fights this year.

Considering how the Georgian fighter’s cardio is one of his biggest weapons, having to be on a course of antibiotics heading into fight week could have made a huge difference to the main event that is set to go down at the Sphere.

Merab Dvalishvili Says He’s Got The All-Clear After Being Interrupted Mid-Interview

New York Post Sports’ MMA reporter Scott Fontana recently posted a clip from his interview with Dvalishvili which was broken up halfway through.

The top contender at 135 pounds apologized for having to step away for a moment and in this period, consulted with a doctor about the mark on his arm.

When returning back to the interview to continue from where they left off, he gave Fontana a promising update that would appear to dispel any of the concerns from the fans online.

“I’m sorry my friend, UFC doctor was checking me out. They was looking at this [showing the mark to camera] like I have nothing, they thought I have something but I’m good… Yes I take a picture and a lot of people comment like they was thinking I have a staph infection but I’m good man, I don’t think I have nothing. As you see, there is no staph infection.”

Fontana also noted that during the break in the interview, the doctor had mentioned the cut which Dvalishvili had made public on social media.

The title challenger said that this is also not a worry and that they’re using a cream to help this heal before September 14.

Read also: ‘He Only Beat Cory Sandhagen’ – Merab Dvalishvili Doubles Down On Deiveson Figueiredo Deserving Next Bantamweight Title Shot Over Umar Nurmagomedov

Continue Reading Merab Dvalishvili Clarifies Staph Status After He Is Interrupted Mid-Interview By UFC Doctors at MMA News.

Merab Dvalishvili Clarifies Staph Status After He Is Interrupted Mid-Interview By UFC Doctors

A post on social media from Merab Dvalishvili had the MMA fans putting on their detective hats to try and scope out a concern. Ahead of his bantamweight title fight against Sean O’Malley at UFC 306, the challenger shared on Instagram that he was releasing his first apparel collection in collaboration with Takedown. Fans quickly […]

Continue Reading Merab Dvalishvili Clarifies Staph Status After He Is Interrupted Mid-Interview By UFC Doctors at MMA News.

A post on social media from Merab Dvalishvili had the MMA fans putting on their detective hats to try and scope out a concern.

Ahead of his bantamweight title fight against Sean O’Malley at UFC 306, the challenger shared on Instagram that he was releasing his first apparel collection in collaboration with Takedown.

Fans quickly made note of a mark on Dvalishvili’s left arm that looked like it could be a staph infection, which has been a reoccurring issue in some big fights this year.

Considering how the Georgian fighter’s cardio is one of his biggest weapons, having to be on a course of antibiotics heading into fight week could have made a huge difference to the main event that is set to go down at the Sphere.

Merab Dvalishvili Says He’s Got The All-Clear After Being Interrupted Mid-Interview

New York Post Sports’ MMA reporter Scott Fontana recently posted a clip from his interview with Dvalishvili which was broken up halfway through.

The top contender at 135 pounds apologized for having to step away for a moment and in this period, consulted with a doctor about the mark on his arm.

When returning back to the interview to continue from where they left off, he gave Fontana a promising update that would appear to dispel any of the concerns from the fans online.

“I’m sorry my friend, UFC doctor was checking me out. They was looking at this [showing the mark to camera] like I have nothing, they thought I have something but I’m good… Yes I take a picture and a lot of people comment like they was thinking I have a staph infection but I’m good man, I don’t think I have nothing. As you see, there is no staph infection.”

Fontana also noted that during the break in the interview, the doctor had mentioned the cut which Dvalishvili had made public on social media.

The title challenger said that this is also not a worry and that they’re using a cream to help this heal before September 14.

Read also: ‘He Only Beat Cory Sandhagen’ – Merab Dvalishvili Doubles Down On Deiveson Figueiredo Deserving Next Bantamweight Title Shot Over Umar Nurmagomedov

Continue Reading Merab Dvalishvili Clarifies Staph Status After He Is Interrupted Mid-Interview By UFC Doctors at MMA News.

Merab Dvalishvili addresses Dana White’s concerns over UFC 306 injury: ‘This is who I am’

Merab Dvalishvili addresses Dana White's concerns over UFC 306 injury: 'This is who I am'Despite receiving backlash for first publicizing how he suffered a nasty laceration ahead of Noche UFC from Dana White…

Merab Dvalishvili addresses Dana White's concerns over UFC 306 injury: 'This is who I am'

Despite receiving backlash for first publicizing how he suffered a nasty laceration ahead of Noche UFC from Dana White — and then after removing his stitches with garden shears, Merab Dvalishvili claims it’s like it or lump it when it comes to him.

Dvalishvili, the current number one ranked bantamweight contender, is slated to headline Noche UFC later this month at the Las Vegas Sphere, challenging for Octagon gold for the first time in a showdown against incumbent divisional champion, Sean O’Malley.

sean omalley merab dvalishvili 1

Riding an impressive 10-fight winning run, Georgian contender, Dvalishvili most recently turned in a impressive unanimous decision win over former two-weight champion, Henry Cejudo on the main card of UFC 298 back in February to finally ear his premiere title charge in the organization.

Merab Dvalishvili Will Not Be Pulling Out From UFC 306 Due to Cut: "You guys are WEAK"

However, ahead of the long-anticipated charge with O’Malley, Dvalishvili has come under fire from White who questioned why he would first show off a cut suffered in training on social media, before turning doctor and removing his own stitches with a garden sheers.

Merab Dvalishvili unfazed by worry from UFC CEO, Dana White

And as far as Tbilisi grappler, Dvalishvili is concerned, critics should just accept him for who he is.

Sean O'Malley’s coach warns Merab Dvalishvili of major flaw: ‘Too close to the fight now to fix'

“I never regret what I did,” Merab Dvalishvili told MMA Junkie. “I post this because I post everything in my social media. It wasn’t a big deal because I had more than three weeks when I got cut, and I know that my cut will take five days to heal up, and then this cut didn’t affect my training, my sparring — nothing. As you see, I’m healed up. Everything is good.”

“When I saw Dana (White) was upset, of course, I don’t want to upset Dana White and the UFC or do something like that,” Merab Dvalishvili explained. “But I was very calm and relaxed because it wasn’t a big deal. I don’t regret nothing. This is who I am, this is what I do, and this is my life. That’s why I’m a fighter, and this is my life and what I do.”

Merab Dvalishvili Doesn’t Regret Social Media Post That Angered Dana White: ‘This Is Who I Am!’

Should top bantamweight Merab Dvalishvili sustain more cuts in the lead-up to major UFC fights, Dana White can expect them to be broadcast across social media. Dvalishvili is currently gearing up for about as big an assignment possible, with the Georgian scheduled to challenge for Sean O’Malley’s title in the main event of Noche UFC […]

Continue Reading Merab Dvalishvili Doesn’t Regret Social Media Post That Angered Dana White: ‘This Is Who I Am!’ at MMA News.

Should top bantamweight Merab Dvalishvili sustain more cuts in the lead-up to major UFC fights, Dana White can expect them to be broadcast across social media.

Dvalishvili is currently gearing up for about as big an assignment possible, with the Georgian scheduled to challenge for Sean O’Malley’s title in the main event of Noche UFC at the Sphere next weekend.

But a few weeks out, concern arose when the challenger displayed a worrisome cut sustained to his face during a training session on social media.

While Dvalishvili and his team eventually clarified that the blemish was by no means a threat to his monumental headliner going ahead on September 14, that didn’t stop “The Machine” catching the wrath of his boss.

“The whole world knows about Merab’s cut. He posted it. Our guys are so dumb, it’s next-level unbelievable,” White said during a DWCS press conference. “All the stuff I talk about boxing, what I will give boxing, is when something happens in a camp, man, let me tell you what, it does not leak. Our guys can’t f*cking wait to throw it up on social media.

“It’s a small cut. It’s no big deal. But obviously, it needed to be posted,” White continued. “Why the f*ck would you want him to know that? It is next-level stupid. Some of these guys are so stupid it’s mind-boggling. It’s unbelievable.”

Despite that, though, Dvalishvili has no regrets.

Dvalishvili On UFC Backlash For Cut Post: ‘It Wasn’t A Big Deal’

During a recent interview with Mike Bohn for MMA Junkie, Dvalishvili addressed his post revealing the cut suffered in training and the subsequent reaction from White.

While he noted that upsetting the promotion and its higher-ups is by no means a desire of his, the Georgian contender did suggest that such actions are simply part of who he is as a fighter.

“I never regret what I did, you know? I post this because I post everything on my social media. It wasn’t a big deal because I had more than three weeks after I got cut,” Dvalishvili said. “This cut (had) no effect on my training, my sparring. As you see, I healed up and everything is good.

“Yeah, when I see Dana was upset, of course, like, I don’t want to upset Dana White and the UFC. But I was very calm and relaxed because it wasn’t a big deal,” Dvalishvili continued. “I don’t regret nothing. This is who I am. This is what I do. This is my life. I am a fighter.”

Fortunately, Dvalishvili’s confidence regarding the cut’s healing time proved not to be misplaced, with the Georgian quickly being able to resume normal training as the lead-up to his first title challenge nears its conclusion.

Continue Reading Merab Dvalishvili Doesn’t Regret Social Media Post That Angered Dana White: ‘This Is Who I Am!’ at MMA News.

‘He Only Beat Cory Sandhagen’ – Merab Dvalishvili Doubles Down On Deiveson Figueiredo Deserving Next Bantamweight Title Shot Over Umar Nurmagomedov

After winning ten UFC fights in a row, Merab Dvalishvili will rightly challenge Sean O’Malley for the promotion’s bantamweight championship at The Sphere in Las Vegas on September 14, 2024. The classic striker vs. grappler matchup already has fans on the edge of their seats. On top of that, Dvalishvili posting his cut and then […]

Continue Reading ‘He Only Beat Cory Sandhagen’ – Merab Dvalishvili Doubles Down On Deiveson Figueiredo Deserving Next Bantamweight Title Shot Over Umar Nurmagomedov at MMA News.

After winning ten UFC fights in a row, Merab Dvalishvili will rightly challenge Sean O’Malley for the promotion’s bantamweight championship at The Sphere in Las Vegas on September 14, 2024.

The classic striker vs. grappler matchup already has fans on the edge of their seats. On top of that, Dvalishvili posting his cut and then taking his stitches out with the biggest scissors possible in viral clips further added to the hype.

Interestingly, regardless of the outcome of the Riyadh Season Noche UFC main event, Dvalishvili doesn’t want Umar Nurmagomedov to be the next bantamweight title challenger…

Merab Dvalishvili Opposes Umar Nurmagomedov Getting A UFC Title Shot With Just One Win Over A Ranked Opponent

Dvalishvili discussed who he thinks should get the next title shot in the UFC bantamweight division during an interview with MMA Junkie recently. Although the consensus is that Nurmagomedov’s win over Cory Sandhagen makes him the next contender, “The Machine” disagrees.

As someone who had to fight several top-ranked opponents to secure a title shot, Dvalishvili wants other fighters in his division to follow a similar route. He thinks that former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo should fight for the belt next because of his wins over Rob Font, Chito Vera, and Cody Garbrandt.

Nurmagomedov, on the other hand, needs to fight more contenders according to Dvalishvili. He pointed out that the undefeated prospect was fighting non-ranked opponents before Sandhagen, so his resume is not worthy of a title shot yet.

“He beat one former champion in this weight class and one title challenger. And he beat Rob Font. And Figueiredo is former champion, and he has big name and he deserves. Umar, he only beat Cory Sandhagen from top 15, only one guy he beat from top 15. And why he deserve fight for the belt? I’m not saying, you know, even if I would be champion, he has to fight Sean O’Malley. He don’t have to, I don’t think he deserves to fight for the belt, you know, that’s my opinion.”

Dvalishvili’s focus is to naturally win the UFC bantamweight title first. He seems to have healed up perfectly from the infamous cut and is ready to show the world his well-rounded game on September 14, 2024.

Continue Reading ‘He Only Beat Cory Sandhagen’ – Merab Dvalishvili Doubles Down On Deiveson Figueiredo Deserving Next Bantamweight Title Shot Over Umar Nurmagomedov at MMA News.