He had one tough fight against Chito Vera and he quit - Merab Dvalishvili says Sean O'Malley's "toughness" will be put to the test against Petr Yan at UFC 280

Merab Dvalishvili (left), Sean O'Malley (center), and Petr Yan (right) [Images courtesy of UFC.com]

Petr Yan and Sean O'Malley will face off at UFC 280. This fight could have huge implications on who receives the next title shot in the bantamweight division.

Merab Dvalishvili is on a seven-fight win streak that dates back nearly four years. He will take on Jose Aldo, who is currently the number three-ranked bantamweight, at UFC 278. The outcome of these two fights could very well determine who gets the next shot at the title.

Dvalishvili, while preparing for his fight against Aldo, took some time to speak with Helen Yee. When asked about the matchup between Yan and O'Malley, the Georgian said:

"That would be like striking fight, like stand-up fight, but we will see now how tough 'Sugar' Sean O'Malley is because, uh, he's good, um, he knocks people out, but, like, he has one tough fight against 'Chito' Vera and he quit, so, and, we will see how tough he is now, so, and Petr, we all know he's, he's good, great fighter."

Dvalishvili was asked to make his prediction for the matchup, to which he replied:

"I want 'Sugar' Sean O'Malley to win, but, uh, we'll see. I mean, I think Petr. I want Sugar, but I think Petr."

Dvalishvili trains with the current bantamweight champion, Aljamain Sterling. 'Funk Master' has stated that he would move up weight classes to give Dvalishvili a shot at the title rather than fight him. He is set to defend his belt against T.J. Dillashaw in the co-main event of a stacked UFC 280 card.

Watch Merab Dvalishvili's full interview with Helen Yee below:

Is Sean O'Malley-Petr Yan or Jose Aldo-Merab Dvalishvili the true title eliminator?

Merab Dvalishvili will enter the octagon with a true UFC legend later this month. Aldo is arguably the greatest featherweight of all time and has displayed an incredible resurgence since his drop to 135lbs.

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The fight could have major implications for the bantamweight division as well. While Sterling, the current champion, could move up if Dvalishvili wins, Sean O'Malley has stated that he believes Aldo deserves a title shot if he emerges victorious. With O'Malley currently the No.13-ranked bantamweight and No.1 ranked Yan coming off back-to-back title losses, the fight between Dvalishvili and Aldo could be the true title eliminator either way.

Wins by Dvalishvili and Sterling could complicate things, as the two are close friends who have been adamant that they will not fight.

After Merab’s next win, I will probably have to move up, to allow him his chance that he earned, to make history for Georgia 🇬🇪 to win a world title. We will figure it out. twitter.com/al51936180/sta…

No.15-ranked bantamweight Jack Shore believes Jose Aldo will defeat Merab Dvalishvili. It's hard to pick against Aldo, who is a true legend of the sport, and most fans will be rooting to see the Brazilian get a title shot before he retires.