Merab Dvalishvili Warned of Biggest ‘Problem’ With Sean O’Malley Fight by UFC Hall of Famer

Sean O’Malley settled his score with Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera at UFC 299 on Sunday. The 29-year-old put up a dominant performance and won the fight via decision. Known for his striking ability, ‘Suga’ displayed an array of skills to come out on top against ‘Chito.’ However, after the fight, he called out the current featherweight champion, Ilia Topuria, for a fight.

O’Malley, however, will most likely defend his title against the number one contender Merab Dvalishvili before he can move divisions. Meanwhile, in a recent YouTube video, Michael Bisping shared his thoughts regarding his next opponent. The 45-year-old even highlighted the problem Dvalishvili might face if he faces ‘Suga’ next.

Michael Bisping lists problems Merab Dvalishvili might have to deal with

Merab Dvalishvili put up a dominant performance against Henry Cejudo at UFC 298 and won the fight via decision. His performance earned him a top spot for a title opportunity next in the bantamweight division. Now, while there has been no official announcement of him fighting for the title against ‘Suga’, former champion Bisping shared his thoughts about the probable fight between the pair. During the video, the former champion pointed out the biggest problem for ‘The Machine’.

‘The Count’ said, ” Maybe Merab will be next. But I got to say after what we saw last night from Sean O’ Malley that’s going to be a really tough fight for Merab. Remember, Aljamain Sterling had problems closing the distance and getting a hold of him. Chito Vera had trouble closing the distance and getting in the range to land strikes. I think Merab Dvalishvili would have the same problem. Not saying he loses. Not saying Suga Sean O’Malley wins, ok. I’m just saying stylistically there would be a problem there.”

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The fans will be desperate to see ‘Suga’ back in action after witnessing his fighting masterclass on Sunday. However, he did suffer a scare in the final rounds of the fight after a punch from Vera landed and put him in trouble. After the fight, the 29-year-old shared his thoughts regarding the knock.

Sean O’Malley shared the feeling of getting hit by ‘Chito’

When Sean O’Malley entered the Octagon on Sunday, he wanted to win the fight against the only guy to have beaten him, his long time rival, Marlon Vera. The pair had previously met at UFC 252 and ‘Suga’ suffered his first career loss at the hands of ‘Chito’. However, the champion never quite acknowledged the loss and has often termed it as a fluke. At UFC 299, the 29-year-old proved his class after dominating the fight and winning it by unanimous decision. ‘Suga’ not only landed punches but also used his footwork to evade punches from ‘Chito’. However, he failed to avoid one punch and seemed to be in discomfort even after the fight was over.

During his post-fight interview, he said, “F***er hit me with a nice body shot. Tim told me, ‘Don’t sit… you’re winning the fight. Don’t need to sit there’, but I just wanted that finish so bad,” He further added, “I thought I could sit in the pocket and f**ing trade. He [Vera] hit me with a nice body shot and I was just like, ‘I already whooped his a*. Imma sit down and relax a little bit,” Sean O’Malley successfully defended his title at UFC 299 and is now ready for his next challenge. Who do you think he will face next in his career? Let us know in the comments below.

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