Merab Dvalishvili has a looming concern heading into his UFC 306 main event title bout against Sean O’Malley—and it’s not just about his opponent. ‘The Machine’ has voiced his unease about having veteran referee Marc Goddard in charge of the biggest fight of his career. Speaking to Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo on their podcast, Dvalishvili recalled a controversial call from his Fight Night clash against Ricky Simon back in 2018 that has left him wary of Goddard ever since.

“I’m just afraid of Marc Goddard,” Dvalishvili said, recounting the moment that still haunts him. “I was winning the fight, I shot for a double leg and hit my head on the floor. Simon caught me in a choke, but I made it to the bell. I wasn’t out, and I was sure I had won… but Marc Goddard, who was the side referee, jumped in and said I was out. After that, I started paying attention, and every time I see him refereeing, I feel like he’s stopping fights too early.”

Despite his concerns, Dvalishvili knows he can’t control the officiating. As he prepares for the fight that could define his legacy, ‘The Machine’ is laser-focused on what he can control—his performance. While he admits to feeling anxious about the potential referee selection, Merab is determined to fight his fight, regardless of who’s in charge of the octagon.

“I can’t control who the ref is. I’m just a regular fighter. If Marc Goddard is the ref, I’ll go out there and do my job, but I’ll probably ask him before the fight, ‘Please, don’t stop me early,‘” he added.

With the stakes higher than ever, Dvalishvili knows one thing for sure—no referee, no matter who it is, can stand in the way of his determination to leave UFC 306 victorious. Whether Goddard will referee the fight or not, Merab’s message is clear: he’s ready for war. Even, shockingly, if that war is entirely on the feet.

Merab Dvalishvili promises to beat Sean O’Malley on the feet

Merab Dvlaishvili’s wrestling is, to say the least, world-class. After all, ‘The Machine’ has the most takedowns in the UFC’s bantamweight division and as his moniker suggests has super-human determination and looks unstoppable even when he is down. He proved this yet again in his UFC 298 clash against former wrestling Olympic gold medallist and former two-division champion, Henry Cejudo.

But, despite this, and O’Malley being arguably the best striker in the promotion, the Georgian has promised to “show everybody my striking” against ‘Suga.’ So confident is ‘The Machines’ in his striking that he believes not only can he go toe-to-toe with the rainbow-haired sniper, but can actually knock him out!

But even Michael Bisping, whom Dvalishvili was talking to when he made this promise, doesn’t believe the Georgian, and told him straight up “Merab you’re full of s—t.” And this is a sentiment shared by fans. After all, Dvalishvili trying to strike with the champ and not using his wrestling, where ‘Suga’ is the weakest, would be what the latter is praying to god the Georgian would do.

But, this is Merab Dvalishvili, who is nothing if not iron-willed and has unshakable self-confidence. If anyone would be confident enough to strike with O’Malley and believe they could stop the champ on their feet, it is ‘The Machine.’ Either way, we will have to wait until only this weekend to find out whether the Georgian actually comes through on his promise or shoots for a takedown first chance he gets. What are your predictions for UFC 306? Let us know in the comments section below.