Just like UFC 317’s potential main event is speculated to be in danger, UFC 316’s main event is also allegedly surrounded by uncertainty. Rumors suggest that Sean O’Malley is suffering the same fate as Dricus du Plessis, which is an injury, after he was seen walking with crutches in a video on social media. Fans were really concerned, as this could leave Merab Dvalishvili without an opponent, but there’s no official word on the rematch getting scrapped so far. The video clip that went viral is surrounded by a bit of ambiguity.

When was the video taken? That’s one question that’s yet to be answered because the community has not been able to track down the date of O’Malley’s video walking on crutches. In the meantime, the 135lbs champion answered another question, involving a move up in the weight class. Most fighters would jump at the chance of becoming a double champion, and recently, that’s what Ilia Topuria has done. Everyone and their grandma knows that ‘La Leyenda’ vacated the featherweight belt in the hopes of getting a lightweight title shot. However, this isn’t the way Dvalishvili wants to make his move. ‘The Machine’ is focused on the task he has in his hand, and that’s defeating every top contender in the bantamweight division.

But then, the Georgian star has already taken care of some of the best 135’ers during his 12-fight winning streak. So, Dvalishvili now claims that if he’s offered a fight in a weight class above him, it has to be something special and big to consider the bout. “Maybe [I will go up in weight class]. Yeah, if superfights make sense, of course. I would like to challenge, but now, I want to clean out my division and just [keep] improving. I want to focus on one thing [at a time],” the bantamweight champion told ex-UFC fighter Jake Shields on the latter’s YouTube podcast.

While having the conversation with Shields, Dvalishvili also had Kick streamer Sneako asking the champion if he wishes to add the BMF title to his cabinet of accolades. Guess what? ‘The Machine’ isn’t willing to entertain that title fight as he stated, “No, I’m good.” 

Just like we mentioned, most fighters want to become double champions or dual-weight titleholders. Dvalishvili wants to do that too, but he seemed to have one condition for it. Let’s take a look at what he had to say!

Here’s why Merab Dvalishvili doesn’t want to fight the featherweight champion

Merab Dvalishvili actually answered the question surrounding him, potentially fighting for the featherweight title. He claimed to weigh around 155lbs in the conversation with Shields during the aforementioned interview, which means that 145lbs is a pretty comfortable weight class for him. It’s a relatively small weight cut! But the only problem Dvalishvili has is that the title holder is Alexander Volkanovski, with whom he’s developed a close bond. Things would have been different if Diego Lopes had emerged as the victor at UFC 314.

“I like Diego Lopes, but I would like to fight him. But he is fighting Volkanovski, I think Volkanovski is going to win tomorrow,” said Merab Dvalishvili over a week ago. “First, I love him. I never want to fight him. Second of all, I don’t think it’s an easy fight against him. He is way better than me.”

Well, we’ll have to wait and see if UFC 316’s main event goes ahead as planned, as we wait for the official word on whether Sean O’Malley is injury-free for his rematch against Merab Dvalishvili. Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.