"I don't care, they both suck" - Merab Dvalishvili dismisses interest in bantamweight clash between Sean O'Malley and Petr Yan
During media obligations for his fight this weekend, Merab Dvalishvili completely dismissed a question about the upcoming clash between Sean O'Malley and Petr Yan, insisting he does not care who comes away victorious on the night.
The Georgian has a huge test ahead of him on Saturday as he hopes to spearhead his way towards his first UFC title shot. If he wants to compete for gold in the company, the grappling specialist must first overcome the threat posed to him by the legendary Brazilian, Jose Aldo.
In a hilarious manner, Merab Dvalishvili shut down a reporter who asked him how he envisions the UFC 280 matchup between surging prospect Sean O'Malley and dangerous striker Petr Yan playing out, saying:
"'Sugar' Sean O'Malley and Petr Yan, I don't care. I don't care, they both suck."
As a good friend and training partner of 135lb king Aljamain Sterling, it is understandable as to why Merab doesn't have any respect towards both O'Malley and Yan.
After a two-fight skid during his first two fights with the UFC, the 31-year-old has been on a tear, winning seven straight bouts and putting himself in a position to potentially compete for the title with a win in his next fight.
His wrestling-heavy style has proved to be a problem for the majority of the division, but it was his vicious ground and pound during his last outing that earned him the win and subsequent performance of the night bonus.
Check out what Merab Dvalishvili had to say about the bantamweight showdown in the short clip below.
.@MerabDvalishvil kept it blunt when previewing Petr Yan vs. Sean O'Malley:
"I don't care. They both suck."
Full #UFC278 media day scrum: youtu.be/lew4UndmFCE https://t.co/eheAwiSoZ4
Sean O'Malley vs. Petr Yan and other big fights at UFC 280
UFC 280 is shaping up to be the card of the year and is home to some of the most anticipated matchups in recent years, including the aforementioned standup war between Sean O'Malley and Petr Yan.
In Abu Dhabi on October 22, Charles Oliveira will be aiming to reclaim what is rightfully his when he takes on arguably his toughest test to date in the dominant Russian and supposed successor to Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev.
Aljamain Sterling will put his title on the line against the well-rounded former bantamweight champion, T.J. Dillashaw, in the co-main event of the evening. A title eliminator clash involving Belal Muhammad and Sean Brady, a standup brawl in Marina Rodriguez vs. Amanda Lemos, and more make up the UFC 280 card.