UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley is known for striking abilities. On the other hand, his upcoming opponent, Merab Dvalishvili, is popular because of his dominant grappling game. Both have quite contrasting capabilities when it comes to fighting. In reference to this, BMF champion Max Holloway draws out an intriguing loophole in Dvalishvili’s game that might help O’Malley.
Merab Dvalishvili has finally got his long-due championship fight at the promotion after giving some spectacular performances over the years. UFC veteran Max Holloway witnessed the rise of both bantamweight superstars. Following a detailed analysis of O’Malley and Dvalishvili’s fight game, Holloway points out one opening that ‘Suga’ might penetrate.
One hole in his (Merab’s) game that we see over and over again is he gets caught… If there’s one guy in your (bantamweight) division that you do not want to get caught by, it is Sean.
Max Holloway on his official YouTube channel
Holloway points out that Merab Dvalishvili shouldn’t undermine Sean O’Malley’s knockout ability. Suga’s striking prowess has often been praised by several top MMA fighters. Meanwhile, keeping that in mind, Dvalishvili recently asserted that he can finish the champion with a knockout. Interestingly, this fight between them is not just a usual clash, it is a grudge match filled with hatred for each other.
Max Holloway is picking Sean O’Malley to beat Merab Dvalishvili at #NocheUFC
“One hole in [Merab’s] game that we see over and over again is he gets caught… if there’s one guy in [the bantamweight] division that you do NOT want to get caught by, it is Sean.”
🎥 YT /… pic.twitter.com/qCpgubeH9d
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) September 12, 2024
For almost a year now, both O’Malley and his Georgian opponent took several verbal jabs at each other. Amidst that, they also had intriguing skit-offs where they hilariously trolled each other. Coming back to Holloway’s point, he believes Dvalishvili should commit forward often as Suga’s standup game is excellent. Interestingly, similar to the BMF champ, another UFC star has shared his bits on the matchup.
Former UFC middleweight champion asserts confidence in Merab Dvalishvili ahead of the Sean O’Malley fight
Noche UFC headliner and bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili is currently riding a 10-fight win streak with dominating victories over formidable opponents. His most recent victories came against two former bantamweight champions Henry Cejudo and Petr Yan. Known for a strong ground game, a lot of fighters including Sean Strickland think Dvalishvili will come out on top.
Sean Strickland gives his prediction on the Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili fight (Image via Imago)Interestingly, like Holloway, the American middleweight highlighted that O’Malley’s striking excellence might hurt the Georgian fighter.
However, in doing that, the former middleweight champ also pointed out Dvalishvili’s grit while fighting. Not only that, he also mentioned that the Georgian’s cardio might give him the upper hand this weekend.
It’s going to come down to grit versus skill on that one. I think Merab (Dvalishvili) has the heart to get it done, so I’m leaning towards Merab..
Sean Strickland via MMA Crazy
Per Strickland, he has trained with the Georgian fighter many times and knows how he is as a fighter. Now, it remains to be seen whose prediction stands out following the highly anticipated Noche UFC fight card. Moreover, it will also be interesting to see how the feud between these two ends.
