Team Merab Dvalishvili won’t promise ‘stand and trade’ style fight against Sean O’Malley

Merab Dvalishvili's coach doesn't consider having a striking showdown against Sean O'Malley as a great game plan for the challenger.

Team Merab Dvalishvili won’t promise ‘stand and trade’ style fight against Sean O’Malley

Merab Dvalishvili will not depend on striking against Sean O'Malley at UFC 306 (via Imago)

The Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili mega title fight is just around the corner and fans are excited to see it. Both fighters have talked about fighting each other for a long time now and at UFC 306 they will finally get the opportunity. Going into the bout, O’Malley plans to knock out Dvalishvili, however, the challenger has a different game plan. 

Merab Dvalishvili is currently on a ten-fight win streak out of which nine came via unanimous decision. The fighter’s fighting style revolves around his incredible cardio and pressure. During a recent interview, Dvalishvili coach, John Wood highlighted that and revealed they won’t try anything extraordinary. According to Wood, a single mistake could easily result in a knockout loss. 

I never want to overlook what brought Merab to... this title fight. We have to keep those things in mind but not lose ourselves. 'Oh, we need to learn traditional boxing or striking to compete with O'Malley.' That's how we gonna get knocked out
John Wood via Red Corner MMA 

O’Malley is well known for his incredible striking prowess and can knock out anybody in a flash. Going into a striking contest with ‘Suga’ is like a suicide mission that Aljamain Sterling and Marlon Vera have experienced. Given the new developments, it is expected that Dvalishvili will try for multiple takedowns while subsequently evading punches. 

Ahead of the fight, Dvalishvili recently posted videos of him getting a cut and later removing the stitches on his own. As expected Dana White didn’t appreciate all this, given his $20 million dream Sphere project on the line. On the other side, O’Malley has a huge responsibility on his shoulders as the main event attraction.

UFC legend believes Sean O’Malley is the biggest superstar on the current UFC roster

Sean O’Malley is definitely one of the biggest names when it comes to pay-per-view sales in UFC. The fighter has been part of some of the most entertaining title fights in recent times and is willing to do even more. On top of that, the promotional backing has helped the fighter to attain the superstar status.

Sean O'Malley
Sean O’Malley (via X)

O’Malley is a showman and knows how to get the attention of fight fans. The fighter is busy on social media while promoting himself and his fights as much as possible. While talking about this, Chael Sonnen mentioned how hardworking the fighter is to sell his brand. 

O'Malley is the biggest star in our sport right now…who's the hardest-working guy outside of the cage that division has ever seen and a top five in the sports history. 
Chael Sonnen via his YouTube channel 
YouTube video

Sonnen also said a similar thing about Merab Dvalishvili who has used social media to boost the rivalry among netizens. Both fighters have had several skitt-offs which has kept the engagement for the main event at UFC 306. It would be interesting to see how things will turn out at one of the most anticipated UFC events of 2024. 

In case you missed it!