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Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley are all set for an exciting rematch at UFC 316 on June 7 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. O'Malley's coach, Tim Welch, praised Dvalishvili and labeled him as the best bantamweight of all time.
The two first fought in the main event of UFC 306 last September, where Dvalishvili put on a dominant performance and won by unanimous decision, becoming the UFC bantamweight champion.
Sean O’Malley later shared that he was dealing with a hip injury during that fight, which affected his performance. “Suga" is now coming back with a chance to take revenge and reclaim the title. Speaking to ESPN MMA, O'Malley's coach said:
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"I don't really know how you debate that Merab's not the best of all time. Just look at his record. Has there ever been a bantamweight who's beaten that many champions in a row? It's pretty easy to say that Merab is the best bantamweight of all time."
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Check out Tim Welch's comments on Merab Dvalishvili below:
Cory Sandhagen shares his thoughts on Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O'Malley title rematch
Cory Sandhagen shared his honest opinion on the upcoming UFC bantamweight title rematch between Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili. While the fight has sparked debate among MMA fans, Sandhagen believes it was the most logical choice.
In an interview with James Lynch from Sportskeeda, he explained that the matchup makes sense from a business point of view because Sean O’Malley brings in big numbers. Talking about the bantamweight division, Sandhagen said:
“I think it was the fight to make, honestly. I don’t think it’s about ‘Dana White privilege’ or anything like that. Sean just landed in a spot where there was no one else. [Petr] Yan lost to Merab pretty clearly, and Umar [Nurmagomedov] just fought for the belt and lost.
"Yeah, I get why people brought up Yan. He beat Song [Yadong] and beat Deiveson. But he hasn’t fought since losing to Merab, and I just think Sean brings more eyes. It's not about favoritism, it’s what’s best for business.”
He further added:
“Honestly, I’m glad it’s happening. If O'Malley wins and I beat Figgy in a big way, I think the UFC will want to book me vs. him. I’m the only one in the top five who hasn’t fought Merab. That’s a strong argument.”
Check out Cory Sandhagen's comments below (10:06):
