Merab Dvalishvili vows to SMACK Sean O’Malley’s coach ‘in the face’ at UFC Noche

UFC bantamweight title contender vows to "smack" champion Sean O'Malley's head coach, Tim Welch after title fight at UFC 306.

Merab Dvalishvili vows to SMACK Sean O’Malley’s coach ‘in the face’ at UFC Noche

Merab Dvalishvili on Sean O'Malley's coach Tim Welch (Image via Imago)

People like Aljamain Sterling already do not like bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley’s head coach Tim Welch. Add Merab Dvalishvili to the list. The bantamweight title challenger has said he would smack Welch in the face after fighting O’Malley at UFC 306. Here is what happened:

Merab Dvalishvili recently sat down for a conversation with Damon Martin from MMA Fighting. During the interview, Dvalishvili expressed significant animosity towards Tim Welch even threatening to “smack” Welch because of all the disrespect.

I’m not going to talk to Tim because he don’t deserve to have a conversation... deserves only a smack in his face. He already talks too much, he already disrespected me, he already disrespected my team, he already disrespected MMA... He deserves to get smacked.
Merab Dvalishvili on MMA Fighting
YouTube video

Former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling also had problems with Tim Welch. Welch was cornering O’Malley during his fight against Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292. The MMA coach was audibly caught pretending to be part of Sterling’s corner. Welch told Sterling “You gotta go!” just before O’Malley knocked him out. 

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Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili are set to face off in the main event of UFC 306 this September at the Sphere in Las Vegas. This fight will see O’Malley defending his UFC bantamweight title for the second time after he claimed the belt with a TKO victory over Aljamain Sterling. The co-main event of UFC 306 will feature a flyweight title bout between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko.

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What did Tim Welch do to Merab Dvalishvili? 

The tension began when Tim Welch allegedly disrespected Merab Dvalishvili during a UFC photoshoot. The MMA coach allegedly made derogatory comments about the Georgian’s height and appearance. Dvalishvili has accused Welch of spreading false stories about him, calling Welch a “snake” and warning O’Malley to keep his coach in check.

Sean O'Malley will headline the UFC Noche card against Merab Dvalishvili
Sean O’Malley will headline the UFC Noche card against Merab Dvalishvili (via X)

Tim Welch made a remark during an episode of the “TimboSugarShow” podcast. Welch jokingly claimed that Merab Dvalishvili shares custody of a cat with his ex-girlfriend. It was intended as a humorous jab rather than a serious statement.

I got a message from some guy on Instagram and it says, ‘Hey I have some dirt on Merab’… he gave it to me. I said let’s hear it. He said, ‘He has split custody of a cat with his ex-stripper girlfriend. Picks up the cat 10 minutes before I pulled up there.
Tim Welch on the TimboSugarShow
YouTube video

Dvalishvili did not take the joke well. He felt that it crossed a personal boundary, leading to added tension between him and Welch. The comment added fuel to the ongoing rivalry between Dvalishvili’s camp and O’Malley’s team.

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