"He's levels above" - UFC bantamweight Jack Shore makes confident prediction for Jose Aldo vs. Merab Dvalishvili matchup
Jack Shore has given his prediction for how he sees Jose Aldo and Merab Dvalishvili play out at UFC 278.
The Welshman is fresh off his first defeat in the sport of mixed martial arts after being outclassed by Ricky Simon earlier this month. Dropping to number 15 in the bantamweight division, 'Tank' will be aiming to get back into the winner's column.
In the latest episode of MMA Pros Pick with James Lynch, Jack Shore was confident in his assessment of the fight between Jose Aldo and Merab Dvalishvili. He insisted that the Brazilian's defensive grappling will be his key to victory.
"I like Aldo in that one, I like Aldo. Merab is so good at what he does, but [if] you look over the years, who's had better takedown defense than Jose Aldo?"
He added:
"I'm gonna go Aldo. I think Merab is very good at what he does, but I think Aldo is just good enough to stop the takedown and I think he's levels above in terms of the striking."
The Georgian wrestler has proven throughout his nine-fight UFC career that his grappling is a problem for the entire division. After losing his first two fights inside the octagon, the Serra/Longo athlete has been on a tear, winning seven straight fights.
Check out what Jack Shore and other UFC fighters had to say about Merab's upcoming fight with Aldo in the video below:
One last title push for Jose Aldo?
Jose Aldo is regarded by many as the greatest featherweight of all time. He remains the fighter with the most title defenses in the history of the 145lb division.
Since making the move down to bantamweight, the 35-year-old has seen a career resurgence, and potentially sits one win away from another crack at UFC gold. His 3-2 record in the weightclass may sound ordinary. However, a highly controversial loss to Marlon Moraes and a title loss to the tough Petr Yan accompany his three wins.
To successfully capture the title, Aldo must first get past the wrestling excellence of Merab Dvalishvili. Subsequently, he must overcome Aljamain Sterling or T.J. Dillashaw after their title fight in October.