UFC’s #1 bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili just upped the ante, taking a flight to fly halfway across the globe to enthrall the fanbase in India. ‘The Machine’ as he is known in the UFC circle for his relentless cardio and insane work output is now in Mumbai along with top Indian prospect Anshul Jubli, trying to get more eyes into the sport as the Georgian tries the iconic Tikka Masala.
Fight fans in India will now get the chance to “Meet & Greet” the Georgian and the lightweight contender on May 6th at the UFC gym in Bandra, Mumbai where the Bantamweight will most certainly take the fanbase’s heart with his wholesomeness. Posting snaps on his IG, Jubli shared a few snaps of the duo where Dvalishvili posed with his “Champion Ka Swaad” Tikka Masala while the LW had a note saying, “For Merab, not Paulo(Costa).”
His social media presence and humble demeanor have made the Georgian a fan favorite. His pranks and chirpy attitude have got him a lot of followers, 801000 to be precise on Instagram. In fact, the fan following only seems to be growing with the #1 bantamweight contender being the next in line to challenge the champion, Sean O’Malley for the belt.
As for Jubli, despite losing his debut to Mike Breeden, it looks like there are more opportunities coming in to prove his mettle as the UFC is betting on the tuition teacher turned-fighter to get the ball rolling in the subcontinent. Fans can reach out to UFCGymINDIA for more details about the upcoming meetup in Mumbai.
Credits: IMAGO
Besides that, there have been a lot of developments around the bantamweight king O’Malley who has confirmed it that he will take up the boxing match with Ryan Garcia but only after defending his UFC belt against Dvalishvili but under one condition.
Dvalishvili is set to get his title shot as O’Malley reveals his only condition
The title has changed several hands after former champion Petr Yan got an illegal blow on Aljamain Sterling. Sterling used the opportunity to snatch the belt and become the champion. The BJJ expert in fact was a solid contender considering his elite grappling and wrestling but his theatrics against the Siberian became a blemish on his career.
The ‘Funmaster’s’ reign came to an end when O’Malley stopped the champion, snapping the champion’s nine-fight winning streak, handing a KO loss to snatch the belt. Now with the belt changing hands again, Merab Dvalishvili who admittedly said that he would never fight his training partner, Sterling, has a clear shot with Sterling announcing his move to featherweight.
Speaking on his podcast, the Montana native cleared the air around his next title defense and confirmed that it would be Dvalishvili whom he would fight next. Revealing his thought process, O’Malley shared a key aspect for him to take up the fight. In essence, the champion made his terms to take on ‘The Machine’ only in America and not anywhere else. Dvalishvili isn’t one to complain.
