Merab Dvalishvili Dismisses Sean O’Malley As His Toughest Test

Merab Dvalishvili isn’t convinced that Sean O’Malley is the toughest opponent he’s ever faced.

This weekend, Sean O’Malley will defend his UFC bantamweight championship against Merab Dvalishvili. If O’Malley can get the job done, he’ll take another big step towards cementing his status as one of the best bantamweights of all time. On the flip side, Dvalishvili could cap off what has been a monumental rise to the top of the division.

In the eyes of many, this is going to be a really competitive encounter between two of the most interesting fighters in the UFC. Their respective styles should mesh together quite nicely and if they both bring their A game, we could be in for an all-time classic.

With that being said, it doesn’t appear as if Merab is overly worried about what ‘Suga’ brings to the table. During a recent interview, he spoke about who he considers to be the toughest opponent he’s ever fought.

Merab Dvalishvili gets honest

“I don’t think he’s the toughest opponent because I fought José Aldo, and I think he was the toughest opponent for me,” Dvalishvili said. “(O’Malley) is a new challenge, and I have all the respect for him as a fighter. I know he is good. He is dangerous. He knocks people out. He has the skill, the power, and everything else. But so do I.”

Quotes via MMA News

Everyone knows that Sean O’Malley is an unbelievably dangerous striker. If he’s given the time and space to make things happen on the feet, then things could get hairy for Merab Dvalishvili in a hurry.

Alas, if this fight goes to the ground, we all know who is going to have the upper hand – and by quite a margin. Hopefully, we just get to see them both at their very best once the cage door shuts.