Daniel Cormier gets 100% real on Merab Dvalishvili disclosing toe injury ahead of Sean O'Malley rematch: "This is a much bigger deal"

Ahead of his rematch against Sean O'Malley, Merab Dvalishvili seemingly suffered a toe injury during sparring. Recently, Daniel Cormier shared his perspective on the matter, claiming it is a "much bigger deal" than it is perceived.

The bantamweight champion is scheduled to defend his title for the second time at UFC 316 at the Prudential Center in Newark on June 7. After losing his title to 'The Machine' last September, O'Malley looks to retain the belt in his upcoming contest.

On his YouTube channel, 'DC' weighed in on Dvalishvili's toe injury, stating:

"At some point, you gotta keep those injuries to yourself. A toe might seem like a small deal for a guy that doesn't kick that much. But it is a big deal for a guy that has to wrestle without a shoe. Imagine all the push off we generate, when you punch and when you shoot as a wrestler. A lot of that push is generated off of that pinky toe. So for Merab, this is a much bigger deal than he's letting on."

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Check out Daniel Cormier's comments below (3:54):

Merab Dvalishvili predicts Sean O'Malley's game plan at UFC 316

Sean O'Malley defended his bantamweight title against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306 last year. 'The Machine' emerged victorious with his grappling-heavy style, dismissing 'Suga's' effective striking.

Although the entire fight was dictated by the Georgian, O'Malley had his moment in the final round, where he seemingly hurt Dvalishvili with a body shot. Speaking to Michael Bisping and Paul Felder, the bantamweight kingpin anticipates an aggressive approach this time around. He said:

"I think, the first time, he [O'Malley] was waiting for me too much and I was measuring distance good and every time we get close, I was able to take him down. Now I think he will attack more like he will [be the aggressor]. He had success in the fifth round, when he touch my body, he got me once, with a body kick. Maybe he will try more of that."

Check out Merab Dvalishvili's comments below (1:54):

About the author

Sunil holds a Bachelor of Science degree in visual communication. He started his professional career in 2023 and has previously worked with FirstSportz and Levitate Studios, among other organizations.

Sunil was drawn to MMA by Conor McGregor, especially the Irishman’s crossover boxing bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2017. His favorite fighter is Jorge Masvidal for his wild and unorthodox approach.

Surprisingly, ‘The Notorious’ and ‘Gamebred’ do not find a place in his Mt. Rushmore, which includes Chuck Liddell, Anderson Silva, Alex Pereira, Daniel Cormier, and Khabib Nurmagomedov. He feels ONE Championship’s Rodtang Jitmuangnon has the ability to succeed in the UFC due to his power.

Sunil is of the opinion that the UFC is not doing enough to prevent eye pokes and does not mind soccer kicks in MMA.

In his free time, he likes to watch anime and films in general. He’s also a boxing historian, having gotten into the sport watching videos of fighters like Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran.

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Edited by Sunil Krishnan