In a few weeks, the UFC bantamweight title will be on the line as Sean O’Malley takes on Merab Dvalishvili. However, fans already know what is next for the winner, without a single punch being thrown. With his recent win over Cory Sandhagen, Umar Nurmagomedov has punched his ticket to a title shot. However, according to Dvalishvili, this was a gift from the UFC.
The bantamweight title challenger recently sat down for an interview with Helen Yee sharing his thoughts on all the latest developments in the world of MMA. Chief among them was Nurmagomedov’s recent win over Sandhagen, to which ‘The Machine’ said,
“That was a good fight, Umar win this fight congratulations to him. That was a good gift from the UFC. From number 11, no fight nobody in the top 15 to fight number two. Cory was supposed to be next for the title I believe, but now, I am sorry Cory but goodbye for the belt long time.”
Merab Dvalishvili reacts to Umar Nurmagomedov’s win over Cory Sandhagen, and remains adamant that he was given a “gift from UFC”
He also believes that Deiveson Figueiredo deserves the title shot over Umar Nurmagomedov
@HelenYeeSports #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/05G2exzNSA
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) August 10, 2024
According to Merab, Umar did not deserve a fight against such a highly-ranked opponent especially when he himself is not in the top 10. Dvalishvili also went on to add that he felt sorry for Sandhagen.
Furthermore, ‘The Machine’ feels that Deiveson Figueiredo deserves the title shot more than Umar, thanks to his recent win over Marlon Vera. Unfortunately, the UFC does not see it the same way and Dvalishvili will have little to no control on who he faces next if he beats O’Malley.
A closer look at a historic event featuring O’Malley and Dvalishvili
The UFC and Dana White aim to be the first live sports event to take place at the Sphere. While they are on track to achieve this feat, it is coming at an exorbitant price for the organization. In recent interviews, White claimed that his team has already spent more than $16 million.
Due to the high costs involved, White stated that this would be a one-and-done event for the UFC. At the same time, the president promised that UFC fans would witness something that they had never seen in their lives before. Unfortunately, the experience will be reserved only for a select few as tickets for the event start at a whopping $3,000.
