UFC star Sean O’Malley has issued a warning to former rival Merab Dvalishvili ahead of his UFC 323 rematch against Petr Yan.
The main event of UFC 323 in December will see Merab Dvalishvili defend his UFC bantamweight championship against Petr Yan. It will serve as a rematch after their first meeting a few years ago, which ‘The Machine’ won to put themselves in line for a shot at the belt. If Merab wins, it will take him to 4-0 in 2025, undoubtedly cementing his position as Fighter of the Year.
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While many believe Dvalishvili will be able to get the job done, some are concerned he is burning out given how active he has been all year. Either way, it’s expected to be a pretty fascinating encounter between two of the best bantamweights in the world.
In a recent podcast, Dvalishvili’s former foe Sean O’Malley warned about Merab’s improved attack.
O’Malley’s take on Dvalishvili/Yan 2
“Could that be his downfall? He has a lot more confidence in his hands and his hands have improved a lot,” O’Malley said of Dvalishvili on his YouTube channel. “He cracked me a few times in that second fight. It’s just so hard to fight someone when you have to respect their wrestling so much, and then they start throwing each other. He does a really good job of mixing it up.”
“Could that be his downfall versus Petr? He’s getting a bit of confidence in those hands, Petr’s counters. I re-watched me against Petr a few days ago, and the few times I was there with the one-two, and he countered so damn hard and fast. If Merab decides ‘I want to trade with him a little bit’, that could be his downfall.”
Quotes via MMA junkie
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