Team Merab Dvalishvili is laser-focused on Sean O’Malley, breaking down his game and pinpointing the flaws they believe could make all the difference in their bantamweight title fight. So to prep, they’re bringing in world-class strikers to mimic O’Malley’s unique style.
We’re exactly two weeks out from UFC 306. Both camps now will be in the final stages of fine tuning their game plans for the title fight.
Ahead of the clash, Dvalishvili’s coach, John Wood sat down for an interview with Red Corner MMA and broke down the upcoming fight. He dove deeper into how they are preparing for O’Malley specifically and how the champion can not replicate the same.
“I have never seen Sean get pressured enough to where he breaks. But when you start to pressure him, he does get tired but he is very composed. He is a world champion for a reason. We’ve got guys that are world class strikers. We’ve got a guy in here that is a world class striker. Who is on the level of sniping just like O’Malley. We’ve got a lot of guys that can emulate that.”
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Wood believes that ‘The Machine’s unique mix of wrestling coupled with non stop pressure and never ending cardio is something O’Malley will have trouble dealing with, since he hasn’t ever faced an opponent like the Georgian
How true that is, we will find out in two weeks. But how is ‘Suga’ looking at this hurdle in his run towards greatness?
O’Malley’s gonna throw some hands
Let’s be real here, Sean O’Malley has a major advantage in the striking department over ‘The Machine’. On the flip side, Dvalishvili is a far superior grappler.
So we know where each fighter will want the fight to end up. However, another massive advantage for O’Malley is that he is significantly taller and has a four-inch reach advantage over Merab. In order to win this fight, he will have to use his height and reach well. Basically, he’s going to throw those fast hands with precision.
He misses and Merab takes him to the ground, it’s going to be a long way back from there.
The champion needs to be on his feet and keep Merab on the outside and punish him every time he steps in to try and close the gap for a takedown.
He also needs to be in the center of the ring as much as possible. Merab on the other hand needs to do what he does best. Get the fight to the ground as soon as possible and keep it there.
