UFC star Merab Dvalishvili pulled off an impressive record-breaking display at UFC Fight Night 221 when he clashed with former UFC champion Petr Yan. The Georgian fighter picked a splendid victory as he outpaced ‘No Mercy’ with his full throttle and relentless approach. His boundless cardio and his exploits at The Theater at Virgin Hotels on March 11 justified his nickname ‘The Machine’. The headliner bout had bad blood leading up to the fight, which reached its conclusion with the Dvalishvili hammering the Russian fighter with a crushing victory. While the victory might propel the Tbilisi native within the grasp of the title shot, his close relationship with the current bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling might be a deterrent for him to set an Octagon date with him.
Notably, the 32-year-old time and against has reiterated his stance of not fighting ‘Funk Master’. The Tbilisi native started his UFC career on a disappointing note with 2 losses on the trot. He then found a glimmer of hope in his teammate and friend, Aljamain Sterling. Both the bantamweight fighters train at Serra-Longo Fight Team and have been inseparable for years. However, there was another teammates-close friends duo that turned against each other, as pointed out by UFC star Belal Muhammad.
Aljamain Sterling plays down the speculated scenario with Dvalishvili
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
The welterweight fighter took to Twitter after Dvalishvili got his hand raised. While he heaped praise on the victor, he also pitched an imaginative scenario. Alluding to the breakup story of Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington, he floated a similar end.
Thus, he said, “Imagine if merab and aljo end up having a colby masvidal breakup story”
Irked with the idea, the bantamweight kingpin strongly put, “Don’t do that”.
Don’t do that
— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) March 12, 2023
Markedly, Sterling was in Dvalishvili‘s corner as the latter took on one of the biggest challenges of his career. Afterward, he also penned his emotions on his brother’s incredible victory.
Thus, he wrote, “What an incredible moment in my life, to be able to share this moment with my brother @MerabDvalishvil ! Congrats on a HUGE victory tonight!! “
What an incredible moment in my life, to be able to share this moment with my brother @MerabDvalishvil! Congrats on a HUGE victory tonight!! 🤖🇬🇪🤖🇬🇪
•#TheMachine! #LasVegas #Georgia #DreamChasing pic.twitter.com/Sg8nABGQix— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) March 12, 2023
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Previously, Dvalishvili also accompanied the American fighter on his recent trip to Abu Dhabi, as he defended his title against T.J. Dillashaw at UFC 280.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
What do you think of this statement by UFC champion Aljamain Sterling about his close friend? Do you believe there is a possibility of them crossing their path for the UFC gold? Let us know in the comments below.
Watch This Story: Alexander Volkanovski’s Coach Reveals a Depressing Incident That Almost Led to the Retirement of the Great