"Terrible matchup" - UFC commentator analyzes why Merab Dvalishvili could pose threat to Henry Cejudo
A former UFC champion recently broke down why Merab Dvalishvili's skills could present a formidable challenge to Henry Cejudo.
Dvalishvili and Cejudo are slated to square off in a significant bantamweight showdown this weekend at UFC 298, set to take place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
Cejudo is renowned for his exceptional wrestling skills. The former two-division UFC champion previously held a six-fight win streak and defeated numerous top-tier MMA fighters in his prime.
However, former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping believes that 'The Machine' could pose a significant challenge for the American come Feb. 17.
During a recent conversation on ESPN MMA, Bisping acknowledged Cejudo's achievements but assessed that Dvalishvili's relentless chain wrestling will give him the upper hand in their upcoming bout:
"He's going up against Merab Dvalishvili. On paper this could be a terrible matchup. They are kind of similar in height and in terms of wrestling, which affects the ability to take somebody down. Merab can wrestle like crazy, he's got an insane gas tank, he never stops coming forward, he's got a great chin and his boxing is pretty good as well."
'The Count' added:
"You can make an argument both ways for these guys but they're almost, I won't say mirror images of each other but stylistically they are kind of similar. However, Merab is kind of a maniac, he just never stops coming forward."
Check out Michael Bisping's analysis of the Merab Dvalishvili vs. Henry Cejudo fight (6:30):
Dvalishvili has been on an impressive nine-fight win streak since his split-decision defeat to Ricky Simon in 2018, which includes dominant victories against former UFC champions Jose Aldo and Petr Yan in his two most recent bouts.
Henry Cejudo's retirement decision on the line at UFC 298
Henry Cejudo will step into the UFC octagon for his second fight since coming out of retirement. He is aiming to secure his first victory following a decision loss to Aljamain Sterling in a title bout at UFC 288 in May 2023.
Cejudo is eager to regain momentum and potentially earn a shot at the title again by defeating Merab Dvalishvili this weekend. If successful, he eyes the chance to challenge the winner of the UFC 299 main event between bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley and Marlon Vera.
However, if he fails to achieve success on Feb. 17, 'Triple C' recognizes that it might signify the conclusion of his MMA career.
During an appearance on The HJR Experiment podcast (via MMA Fighting), Cejudo stated:
"I think after losing to Aljamain, I think if I was going to go maybe down the ladder, I would probably be done with fighting again. Yeah, man. Because it’s just like, this sport is hard, man. Training camps, having two kids, and things like that. It's all or nothing, man."
Check out Henry Cejudo's comments below: