Merab Dvalishvili will not sleep on Sean O’Malley
Everyone and their momma knows what Merab Dvalishvili is coming to do to Sean O’Malley at UFC 316.
Cardio. Pace. Pressure. Takedowns. Those are the four pillars of the Georgian champion’s game. Sean O’Malley has felt what that’s like. Dvalishvili is not fighting any different. O’Malley will.
This could be a trap for Merab Dvalishvili. He is on top of the world. But in this sport, kings are made to be killed and if “The Machine” is not careful, he will be dethroned at UFC 316.
Don’t sleep on Sean O’Malley
Sean O’Malley is a peculiar fighter. But he’s one Merab Dvalishvili has had plenty of exposure to. He’s helped his teammate, Aljamain Sterling, prepare for O’Malley. He’s trained for, and fought “Suga” Sean for 25 minutes. He’s very familiar.
But Sean O’Malley is a crafty fighter. He’s cerebral and smart. He is likely not going to fight this fight as he did the last. There will be adjustments. There will be tricks. If Merab Dvalishvili does make the mistake of taking the former champion lightly, UFC 316 could end in disaster.
Taking someone as dangerous as O’Malley for granted is never advised. Dvalishvili must be on his a-game. Shooting the takedown early will be his best friend. If he can drag O’Malley back to the UFC 306 fight mentally, he will have another standout fight.
Merab Dvalishvili: Becoming king
All of that is to say that Merab Dvalishvili will likely not do such a thing. Jose Aldo, Henry Cejudo, Petr Yan, Sean O’Malley and Umar Nurmagomedov are all his victims. All but one was a champion.
Dvalishvili’s game plan is simple: he comes out to fight and impose his will. It’s worked for him. It works for Khamzat Chimaev. It worked for Khabib Nurmagomedov. Nobody has been able to deal with that pressure since his loss to Ricky Simon in 2018. The game plan he’s worked out has been nothing short of spectacular.
Merab Dvalishvili is being called the greatest bantamweight of all time. That’s major praise when he’s standing on the shoulders of giants like Dominick Cruz and TJ Dillashaw. A win this weekend will boost that case. But the winning comes first. The coronation will follow.
