Sean O’Malley is one of the UFC’s fighters who is as hated as he is loved. Suga’s trash-talking is one of the key factors for him to capture the attention of all fans. However, there are times when certain boundaries are crossed, and that surely is something that not even his fans would back him for. And one such incident occurred when he disrespected the country of Georgia.

O’Malley is all set to face Georgian fighter Merab Dvalishvili at UFC Noche this weekend. In order to gain the upper hand, he has been trying to play mind games with the Georgian. However, things went too personal when O’Malley insulted Dvalishvili’s country by tweeting, “Are all Georgians runts?” This low blow was definitely something that Dvalishvili did not approve of, and now the title challenger has given a firm reply to Suga.

In a recent press conference, The Machine revealed that while he still doesn’t take the fight very personally; he did get very mad at O’Malley’s statement. As a proud Georgian, Dvalishvili considers his country equivalent to his religion. So he surely did not take Suga’s words lightly. “Because my country, it’s more than religion for me. I have my country here (points toward his necklace), and that’s why I started fighting. Because I want to represent my country. And this is healthy competition. This is what we do. Then when somebody, it doesn’t matter who, disrespects your family or your country. You have to be mad. If you’re man you have to be mad and I wanted to smack his face that time.”

However, he further revealed that he has more important tasks to do such as taking O’Malley’s belt away from him. However, once he fulfills the task, The Machine revealed that he will try to have a conversation with O’Malley and keep things professional between the two. “I can talk after the fight. Maybe I can forgive him, or we can just talk. I want to keep it that way.”

Today’s Georgia is a young and proud country. It achieved its independence in the process of disintegrating the Soviet Union, and, since then, its population has grown to about four million people. Although there will be exceptions, they are passionate about sports with a rich tradition in wrestling, judo, martial arts, and also in weightlifting. So it’s no wonder that Dvalishvili was pissed at O’Malley. However, is focused on the fight and is looking forward to humiliating O’Malley in the Octagon.

Dvalishvili wants to humiliate the arrogant Sean O’Malley

Merab Dvalishvili, first in the ranking, is going through a streak of ten consecutive victories in which there are names such as former champions such as Henry Cejudo, Petr Yan, and Jose Aldo. So he surely understands how the game works. MMA is a sport that is based on wins and losses almost as much as it is on popularity and publicity. Some fighters, like UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley, rise to fame faster than most, and those athletes get a bigger boost from a promotion like the UFC, while others have to work twice as hard to get noticed.

Dvalishvili is in the latter category, having had to get 10 wins in a row to finally attain a chance to win a title. He’s not bitter about the road he had to travel to get here. But Dvalishvili knows it will mean a lot more when he finally puts on that golden belt around his waist. He said, “I will be so proud. Because I know I don’t get nothing handed to me. I had to work for everything that I got, and I will be very proud. I’m already proud of myself, and I know and all the true MMA fans know. I’m here and fighting hard. I don’t have pressure or anything. It will be special for me. But first I have to win this fight.”

In the days and weeks leading up to the fight, Dvalishvili has shown a lot of confidence that he will become champion, but he has also acknowledged that O’Malley will not give up and play dead. On the other hand, O’Malley has continually promised that he will give a knockout in the first round, and Dvalishvili says he has heard time and time again how he will be dispatched just like Aljamain Sterling. But what truly happens, only time will tell. What do you think? Who will win the fight? Let us know in the comments.