“Careful what you wish for buddy,” Sean O’Malley announces Merab Dvalishvili will be next fight and not Ilia Topuria

Sean O'Malley passed up Ilia Topuria super fight for the title defense against Merab Dvalishvili.

“Careful what you wish for buddy,” Sean O’Malley announces Merab Dvalishvili will be next fight and not Ilia Topuria

Sean O'Malley reveals that Merab Dvalishvili would be his next opponent (via Imago)

Sean O’Malley is the reigning champion of the bantamweight division. The question of who Sean O’Malley will fight next remained a topic of discussion. The answer to the question finally arrived. O’Malley announced his next title defense on his YouTube show. It will come against the division’s top contender, Merab Dvalishvili, and not Ilia Topuria.

O’Malley revealed the news on his popular TimboSugarShow podcast recently. The highly anticipated matchup will pit Sean O’Malley’s dynamic striking against the relentless grappling of Dvalishvili. O’Malley ended any speculation by stating definitively: 

Merab's [Dvalishvili] next. Merab is f****** next. Your wish is granted… Merab’s next. Careful what you wish for buddy.
Sean O’Malley via the TimboSugarShow podcast
YouTube video

The Georgian contender was clamoring for a shot with a 10-fight win streak. Some accused Sean O’Malley of ducking the challenging matchup. But he firmly denied that was ever the case. He admitted he wasn’t initially excited about the stylistic clash with Merab Dvalishvili.

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O’Malley now seemed to have embraced the daunting challenge ahead. O’Malley admitted the wrestling-focused Dvalishvili presented major challenges. He even joked about changing up his training approach for the grappling threat.

O’Malley cemented himself as a legitimate champion by avenging his lone career loss. He dominated Marlon Vera in their rematch at UFC 299 earlier this year. The flashy 29-year-old is one of the UFC’s most prominent stars. His acclaim grew even more after his recent domination of Vera. 

Tim Welch admits there are ways to lose for Sean O’Malley against Merab Dvalishvili

Sean O’Malley’s coach, Tim Welch, has helped guide him to UFC bantamweight championship glory. But the coach recognized the next title defense could become O’Malley’s toughest test yet. Welch labeled Merab Dvalishvili as an extremely “scary” opponent. He admitted to some viable paths to victory for the relentless Georgian wrestler.

Tim Welch belives that Merab Dvalishvili is a tough challenge
Tim Welch believes that Merab Dvalishvili is a tough challenge (via Montana Sports/ UFC.com)

He elaborated on what made Dvalishvili so formidable. Welch admired his cardio and his endurance. He also admired his wrestling, especially after Dvalishvili dominated Henry Cejudo. Welch admitted being more anxious about facing Dvalishvili than Marlon Vera. While Dvalishvili represented an extremely challenging matchup, Welch didn’t view him as the division’s preeminent threat. That distinction belongs to the man O’Malley dethroned: Aljamain Sterling. 

Welch knew Dvalishvili couldn’t be overlooked as his relentless pressure created problems. He vowed O’Malley would train smarter for this fight with a different approach to his training. A date isn’t set, but all signs point to O’Malley vs Dvalishvili next. The champion himself recently confirmed this. This matchup could reveal how well O’Malley performs against elite wrestlers.

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