Merab Dvalishvili might have won against Sean O’Malley at UFC 306, but he is now calling out O’Malley’s team for showing “zero sportsmanship“.
Right from the start of the fight, Merab was seen yelling at O’Malley’s corner, led by coach Tim Welch. A day after the bout, Merab has opened up about the incident, sharing his frustrations with how O’Malley’s team conducted themselves.
The incident occurred within the first 30-seconds of the fight, due to this Herb Dean had to stop the fight and give both parties a mouthful before resuming.
This is not the first time that Welch has been under the spotlight for taunting the opponent. During O’Malley’s fight against Aljamain Sterling, he often said phrases like ‘you gotta go Aljo’ to try and throw him off his game.
But this time around, Merab was having none of it. He took to Twitter to explain the situation and why exactly he yelled at Welch.
“When the fight started I hear his team calling out to me – Merab.. trying to coach , provoke and distract me. I yelled back at them cut it out and coach your own guy. I remembered they pulled the same crap with Aljo. Not professional… shame how disrespectful they are and that they have zero sportsmanship!”
Everyone is asking what happened at start of fight – I was trying to stay professional and focus on the fight only, not wanting to change the energy of the fight. I made no eye contact with O’Malleys team. BUT when the fight started I hear his team calling out to me – Merab..…
— Merab “The Machine” Dvalishvili (@MerabDvalishvil) September 16, 2024
So, yes, it looks like the bad blood between the two camps is not getting over anytime soon! But that’s not Dvalishvali’s problem anymore. Right now, he seems way more than concerned with the idea of his first title defense being against Umar of the Nurmagomedov clan.
Dvalishvili sidelines Nurmagomedov for another challenge
When he was asked about the idea of fighting Umar during the post fight interview, Merab went on a lengthy ramble where he proclaimed his love for UFC president Dana White, never actually answering the real question.
As it turns out, the Georgian fighter has his eyes set on Deiveson Figueiredo for his next fight, not Umar Nurmagomedov.
Speaking at the UFC 306 post-fight presser, Merab explained why Figueiredo excites him more. “I want to fight the best of the best,” he said. Explaining his choice of challenge, Dvalishvili added:
“Figueredo would be my fifth champion. He’s more dangerous, has knockout power, and great Jiu-Jitsu.”
As for Umar? Merab’s not sold just yet. “Umar is okay, but he’s only beaten one fighter in the top 15,” he pointed out, suggesting that the Dagestani fight Petr Yan before getting a title shot.
Now it’s up to the UFC matchmakers to decide, but no matter who’s next, Merab is heading back to Georgia to some well-deserved fanfare.
