“Absolute Animal”: Sean O’Malley’s Coach Labels Merab Dvalishvili ‘A Real Threat’ Ahead of UFC 306

Sean O’Malley and his team aren’t taking Merab Dvalishvili lightly ahead of their bantamweight fight at UFC Noche. Despite all the trolling and the trash talk between the pair there is still some mutual respect between them for their skills inside the octagon. Tim Welch, O’Malley’s head coach is someone who knows it all too well from studying the Georgian’s fighting style and has called him a ‘real threat’.

In a recent interview with Red Corner MMA, ‘Sugar’s’ head coach said that anyone who would beat up Peter Yan for 25 minutes and throw around an Olympic medalist like Henry Cejudo is a real beast to reckon with.

“Merab is an absolute animal…Anybody who can beat up Petr Yan for 25 minutes…he threw around Henry Cejudo like Henry almost didn’t even know how to wrestle.”

 

 

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Both Sean O’Malley and his coach know he is a legitimate threat to the title and are taking him very seriously ahead of UFC Noche. Dvalishvili has been after O’Malley’s title for some time now. And while ‘Suga’ wanted to move into featherweight to fight their champion Ilia Topuria, Dvalishvili threw the kitchen sink to get his title shot.

The pair have been going at it for months now and it’s gotten to a point where something ‘Suga’ tweeted seems to have absolutely angered Dvalishvili and he now wants to beat the champion up outside the cage as well.

And although they do believe he is a real threat, ‘Suga’ and his team still seem confident in his ability to knock out the Georgian early.

O’Malley early KO at UFC Noche

Sean O’Malley is oozing confidence ahead of what will arguably be the toughest test of his career so far. He has never faced such a dominant wrestler in his career, at least not one that hates him as much as Dvalishvili.

Once taken to the mat, it becomes almost impossible to exert your influence on the fight and O’Malley understands it. He saw Khabib Nurmagomedov do it to his idol, Conor McGregor.

However, the champ does not think the Georgian will test his wrestling skills much because he will be too knocked out to pull it off.

“I don’t think Merab is going to be the one to test my wrestling….I truly believe I’m going to put his lights out very early.”

 

Sean O’Malley doesn’t think his wrestling will be tested at #NocheUFC and predicts an early finish against Merab Dvalishvili

(via @bokamotoESPN) pic.twitter.com/I6fkJYZM9h

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 25, 2024

Well, the Georgian has never been knocked out in his career… so good luck with that one!