"This is not Rashad Evans and Jon Jones" - Matt Serra explains why he's confident that Merab Dvalishvili won't fight his teammate Aljamain Sterling for the UFC Bantamweight Title

Merab Dvalishvili derailed Jose Aldo's bantamweight title run at UFC 278, stalling out the former featherweight champion and earning a unanimous decision win. While that may be the end of Aldo's days as a contender, Dvalishvili also finds himself in a strange position. His teammate and close friend Aljamain Sterling holds the 135-pound title, and they insist they won't fight.

Matt Serra coaches Dvalishvili and Sterling, and confirms there's no possibility 'The Machine' will waver on his refusal to fight the current champ. On a recent episode of the UFC Unfiltered podcast, Serra said:

"That's something that I don't think the UFC is gonna be thrilled about ... This is not Rashad Evans and Jon Jones. Merab is a different breed of guy in the sense where life-changing money, this and that, some guys are happy the way they are. The money's an extra but you're not going to throw something at this guy that's going to change his mind, 'Oh okay, now I'll take Aljo's head off.' It's not going to f***ing happen."

Listen to Matt Serra discuss Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling's friendship below:

Jon Jones and Rashad Evans were close teammates at the Jackson Wink MMA Academy, but that didn't stop 'Suga' from accepting a UFC light heavyweight title shot against 'Bones.' According to Serra, there's simply no way Merab Dvalishvili would do the same thing to Aljamain Sterling.

No UFC fighter knew Jon Jones like Rashad Evans.

Rashad Evans knew the real Jon Jones before any of us and this 2012 clip of their heated exchange and Rashad Evans predicting his fall is an incredible watch in 2021.

“When you fall… and you WILL fall.”

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Merab Dvalishvili explains why he would never fight Aljamain Sterling

With his win over Jose Aldo at UFC 278, Merab Dvalishvili is now on an impressive seven-fight win streak. Normally that would enter a fighter into the title conversation, but according to Dvalishvili, there is no conversation to be had so long as Aljamain Sterling holds the title.

During his post-fight victory interview with Joe Rogan, he said:

"This amazing man, my brother Aljamain Sterling, he's the reason why I'm standing here ... As soon as I found Serra-Longo and started training with Aljamain Sterling, he make me humble, he make me realize how amateur I was. Since this we was working, training together. He make me who I am today ... Please don't ask me any more this question. We're not fighting each other. We are brothers, okay?"

"We are not fighting, we are brothers." Merab Dvalishvili on Aljamain Sterling. #UFC278 https://t.co/FsxOSlFtYZ

With his win over Aldo, Merab Dvalishvili moved up the official UFC bantamweight rankings from No. 6 to No. 3, with only T.J. Dillashaw and Petr Yan sitting ahead of him. Dvalishvili is so serious about his vow not to fight Sterling that he's suggested he may leave the bantamweight division and move to flyweight.

Merab just said he will never fight Aljo. Fair enough.
#UFC278 https://t.co/M29KEED1Tj