Merab Dvalishvili hits back at Sean O'Malley's team for using the Las Vegas Sphere lights as excuse for Noche UFC loss

Merab Dvalishvili recently responded to Sean O'Malley's coach for his comments on the arena's lighting supposedly affecting 'Suga's' performance at UFC 306.

O'Malley lost his bantamweight title to 'The Machine' at The Sphere in Las Vegas last September. Recently, his coach, Tim Welch, stated that the peculiar lighting in the arena may have affected his performance, leading to his loss at UFC Noche.

Speaking to Michael Bisping and Paul Felder, Dvalishvili responded to these claims, stating:

"We were stuck in the same situation. Before the fight was like, 'How are you gonna fight in The Sphere, there will be too much light.' And I said, 'We both will be in the same situation.' I was not worried about it. It was the best arena I've ever fought in. Good lighting, the crowd was far away. It was just me and Sean, and I can hear my corner or his corner very well. I was relaxed."

Check out Merab Dvalishvili's comments below (5:16):

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Tim Welch shares definitive prediction for Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O'Malley 2

Sean O'Malley was outclassed by Merab Dvalishvili in their first fight at UFC Noche. 'The Machine' became the new bantamweight champion and is scheduled to defend his title for the second time against 'Suga.'

In a recent interview with ESPN MMA, O'Malley's coach, Tim Welch, shared his predictions for the upcoming fight. Unlike their first clash, Welch believes in the former champion's ability to knock out Dvalishvili at UFC 316. He said:

"When I'm holding pads for him, when I'm watching him sparring, when we bring fresh guys, the shape he's in right now, it's hard for me not to bet that Sean's going to TKO him. He's going to find [Dvalishvili's] chin at some point. If Merab takes a shot at the wrong time, Sean's reactions are so good that he could be sleeping. So I'm thinking he's gonna TKO him."

Check out Tim Welch's comments below (3:51):