Sean O’Malley feels that he’s the only one who can beat Merab Dvalishvili.
The former UFC Bantamweight Champion feels that he’s the only man who’s equipped to beat the current title holder. Nevermind the fact that O’Malley had two chances to prove this notion at UFC 306 and UFC 316, with Dvalishvili getting decisive wins in both fights.
The 30-year-old believes that he’s the only fighter in his division who can f**king snipe Devalishvili in the striking department.
“To beat Merab, you just have to land that shot,” O’Malley said on his YouTube channel. “You have to be able to f*cking snipe him, and he was getting a little bit more reckless. The more confident he gets in his striking, the more gaps it leaves open to be caught.
“I don’t really see anyone beating him. I do think I’m the only one… I hate to say it, I hate to f*cking say it, I’m the only one that can beat him. Give me my shot at the White House. No, I got to go out and get some wins, but, yeah, I don’t see anyone really beating Merab anytime soon. He needs to be clipped, needs to be knocked out, put to sleep to beat him, and I don’t see anyone, other than myself, being able to do that.”
To O’Malley’s credit, the UFC Bantamweight Champion has soundly beaten the number two, three, and fourth ranked fighters as well. Many people were stunned when Umar Nurmagomedov - who went into their UFC 311 fight undefeated - couldn't beat Dvalishvilli. However, none of the fighters except Sean have fought him more than twice.
Nevertheless, Merab Dvalishvili’s next opponent could be former Bantamweight Champion Petr Yan or Song Yadong. An official challenger has yet to be determined. As far as O’Malley goes, if he wants to get another crack at the title then he’ll surely have to beat one of the top contenders to get another opportunity. He may feel that he’s the only fighter in the bantamweight division with the skills to beat Merab, but his track record against the 34-year-old proves otherwise.
There’s been rumors that O’Malley and Yadong could end up fighting some time soon. The former Bantamweight Champion has stated that he’s down to fight the California native, but an official match-up has yet to be sanctioned. We’ll keep you posted when news comes to light about when Merab’s next challenger is determined.