It is a point of debate for all sports fans, not just MMA fans: are live sporting events worth the expensive cost of admission? Or are you better off in the comfort of your own living room? According to Sean O’Malley’s coach and podcast co-host, Tim Welch, live events are a waste of your money.
Speaking on a recent episode of the Timbo Sugarshow, Welch provided a fascinating analysis of the UFC 311 co-main event between Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov. Dvalishvili emerged victorious in his fight against Umar, defending his bantamweight title in the process.
Welch had a vested interest in the bout as O’Malley will be fighting Dvalishvili once more for the bantamweight title at UFC 316 on June 7th. Sean O’Malley was the Bantamweight Champion until September of last year when Dvalishvili defeated him via unanimous decision to end his 13-month reign.
To gain some further recon on the opposition, Welch was in attendance for Merab’s UFC 311 victory. But as he reveals, having cageside seats doesn’t bring as many advantages as MMA fans think.
“So when you’re cageside for the bouts, you don’t really get to see that. You get to see one angle,” revealed Welch. “Sometimes there’s flurries, there’s punches, there’s things that happen right in front of a pole. Sometimes there’s all this stuff going. So it’s hard to focus in on a fight. So, I’ll tell you what. The best seat in the house is at your guys’ house.”
For someone who spends a lot of time cageside both as a spectator and a coach, it’s a valid point from the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. As recent UFC events have shown, the front row is usually filled with a litany of big names from sports, politics, film, and music. And their presence can be distracting.
At UFC 314 last month, the promotion hosted Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Shaquille O’Neal, and FBI director Kash Patel. And understandably, fans will have to pay substantial amounts of money to rub shoulders with the rich and famous at the UFC’s premium live events.
Tim Welch: Merab is dangerous because he’s unpredictable
Tim Welch offered some fascinating insights into the live UFC experience. But ultimately, this episode focused on the approach of Merab Dvalishvili in his victory over Umar Nurmagomedov.
Welch is clearly very cautious and respectful of Dvalishvili’s fighting style. The reason may well be the Georgian’s earlier triumph over his friend and mentee Sean O’Malley.
One aspect of Dvalishvili’s approach that Welch honed in on was his explosive power and versatile offense. That, he maintains, makes Dvalishvili a very unpredictable fighter to face.
“That’s the thing about Merab. He can spring like this and bounce around in an explosive stance for 25 minutes, constantly moving,” analyzed Welch. “You’ve got to be careful because Merab, when he shoots, he doesn’t just shoot and kind of hope. He penetrates and he runs through you.
“You don’t know if he’s changing levels, throwing some bombs. You don’t know if he’s changing levels, throwing a left hook, right hook. You don’t know if he’s changing levels into a single leg or a double leg. You don’t know what he’s doing.”
After losing his first two UFC fights, Merab has put together one of the longest streaks in the UFC with 12 straight wins. If O’Malley and Welch are going to overcome the Georgian fighter, it’ll have to be a watertight strategy heading into UFC 316.
