Midnight Mania! Daniel Cormier labels Merab Dvalishvili the one fighter Sean O’Malley must avoid to secure title shot

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

The Bantamweight title image has a transparent line of challengers.

Subsequent up, Henry Cejudo will return from retirement and problem Aljamain Sterling. It’s a little bit of a shock given UFC’s obvious disinterest in “Triple C,” however the timeline appeared to work out for the promotion. Although focused for March, contracts stay unsigned, and now there’s rumors that the fight has been delayed to ultimately April.

Left on the sidelines is Sean O’Malley. Ranked as the top Bantamweight contender after his upset win over ex-champion Petr Yan, “Suga” is subsequent up after Sterling and Cejudo settle their enterprise. O’Malley says he’s been guaranteed the next title shot and is joyful to coach till the second comes, however usually, contenders are pressured to combat relatively than look forward to a title shot that will or could not materialize.

Retired former champion and present UFC shade commentator Daniel Cormier isn’t in opposition to the concept of O’Malley staying energetic. Nevertheless, he warns that one streaking Bantamweight is to be prevented: Merab Dvalishvili.

“There’s just one title I’d avoid if I’m Sean O’Malley, and that’s Merab Dvalishvili,” Cormier stated on his YouTube channel (through MMAJunkie). “As a result of I imagine that Merab and his strain combating fashion might current some matchup issues for O’Malley. Am I saying no he can’t win? In no way. However I’m saying due to the wrestling, the strain, you don’t wish to be caught in there with Merab. The dude’s a savage.”

“I get being pissed off. However, Sean O’Malley, don’t enable for the frustration to result in dangerous selections,” Cormier stated. “I feel the combat with Merab, when on the verge of a title combat, may very well be a nasty choice. Yeah, he can win. Completely. I feel the child is nearly as good as anybody. Nobody might have advised me that this child from the Contender Sequence will turn out to be this. It’s been nice to see, and I don’t know when Sean will combat for the title, however I do know that when he does, it’ll be an enormous second for the UFC.”

Presently ranked at No. 3, Dvalishvili has received eight in a row. “The Machine” is sturdy and remarkably well-conditioned, permitting him to power a brutal tempo and wrestle relentlessly. He’s the kind of opponent that’s actually troublesome to defeat, not to mention defeat impressively. Worse but, he’s group mates with Aljamain Sterling and refuses to combat “Funkmaster,” so his upward mobility is proscribed till Sterling loses the title.

It doesn’t sound like an amazing combat for UFC or O’Malley, but it surely might actually could be nice alternative for the Georgian expertise if the match up materializes.

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