“I pray that me or my teammates…” – Heartbroken from Aljamain Sterling’s devastating loss, teammate Merab Dvalishvili goes off on referee Marc Goddard for early stoppage

Merab Dvalishvili lashes out at referee Marc Goddard accusing him of stopping the main event of UFC 292. Sean O'Malley knocked out Aljamain Sterling in the main event.

“I pray that me or my teammates…” – Heartbroken from Aljamain Sterling’s devastating loss, teammate Merab Dvalishvili goes off on referee Marc Goddard for early stoppage

Merab Dvalishvili lashes out at Marc Goddard (Courtesy: MMA Junkie, BBC)

Merab Dvalishvili took to Twitter to express his opinion on the stoppage of the Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O’Malley fight. Notably, Dvalishvili was in Aljamain Sterling’s corner during the headline bout of UFC 292. He did not like the stoppage.

“Another F*cking Early Stoppage! I pray that me or my teammates don’t have Mark Goddard in the cage again. We are FIGHTERS … let us fight til the end”, wrote Dvalishvili on Twitter. The fighter from Georgia, who maintains a friendship with and serves as a training partner for Sterling, currently holds the highest position in the bantamweight rankings and boasts an impressive 9-fight winning streak. In his bout against Marlon Moraes at UFC 266, Dvalishvili faced significant adversity, but referee Keith Peterson allowed the fight to continue, leading to Dvalishvili’s victory.

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Dvalishvili shares close ties with both Aljamain Sterling and Al Iaquinta. These bantamweight fighters and Iaquinta have ventured to each other’s home countries, Jamaica and Georgia, fostering a strong bond. Sterling and Dvalishvili have made their stance clear, publicly declaring their decision not to engage in a fight against each other within the confines of the octagon. This choice garnered a mix of praise and criticism from the MMA community.

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If victorious against O’Malley, Aljamain Sterling’s original intention was to relinquish his title and ascend to a higher weight class. The plan was for Dvalishvili to contend for the vacant belt, presumably facing Cory Sandhagen. However, O’Malley’s triumph disrupted these plans, leading to a dynamic shift. Due to these developments, Sterling has already addressed the delay in his featherweight aspirations. Throughout the fight week, Dvalishvili maintained an upbeat demeanor, but his visible disappointment in the fight’s outcome was evident.

Related: WATCH: Fans puzzled as Ian Garry posts taking shower with Chito Vera after UFC 292 wins

Merab Dvalishvili versus Henry Cejudo for the number one contender fight

Merab Dvalishvili lashes out at Marc Goddard.
Henry Cejudo and Merab Dvalishvili (Courtesy: Instagram)

Merab Dvalishvili is nearing full recovery from his injury, while Cory Sandhagen is in the process of recuperating from tricep surgery. Furthermore, Sandhagen is set to get married in September. Assuming the UFC adheres to Sean O’Malley’s timeline of defending the title against Marlon Vera in December, Dvalishvili might face Henry Cejudo to retain his position.

In his recent match, Henry Cejudo suffered a split decision loss to Aljamain Sterling. Cejudo poses as one of the most formidable opponents for Dvalishvili due to the Olympic Gold medalist and a two-division champion showcasing expertise in both striking and wrestling. Dvalishvili has elevated his pressure fighting style in his fights, and Cejudo is the one fighter in the division with the skill set to counter that approach.

After his last encounter with Sterling, Cejudo has already expressed his interest in facing Dvalishvili. Dvalishvili was sidelined with an injury at the time. Dvalishvili is among the select few who have secured a victory against the former champion, Petr Yan, in the UFC. The only fighters with victory over Yan are Sean O’Malley and Aljamain Sterling. A clash between Cejudo and Dvalishvili would undoubtedly be a main event or prominently featured bout on the main card.

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