The Sean O’Malley vs Merab Dvalishvili showdown is just around the corner. Both fighters are at the top of the bantamweight division and are expected to put on a highly competitive bout this September. Sean O’Malley’s coach, Tim Welch, recently shared his thoughts on Merab Dvalishvili ahead of their fight at UFC 306 (Noche UFC).
Tim Welch recently sat down for an interview with Red Corner MMA. Welch and the Georgian fighter have some beef with each other. Nevertheless, the coach chose to praise Dvalishvili rather than discredit him. During the discussion, the bantamweight champion’s head coach described Dvalishvili as an “absolute animal” and a “real threat” to Sean O’Malley‘s bantamweight title.
Merab is an absolute animal…Anybody who can beat up Petr Yan for 25 minutes…he threw around Henry Cejudo like Henry almost didn’t even know how to wrestle.
Tim Welch via Red Corner MMA
Welch emphasized how dangerous Dvalishvili is by pointing out his ability to dominate top fighters like Petr Yan and Henry Cejudo. Dvalishvili went full five rounds with Petr Yan last year and didn’t lose a round. Meanwhile, this year, he dominated Cejudo at UFC 298, securing a unanimous decision victory over the former simultaneous double champion.
⚡️Tim Welch admits he is impressed by the way Merab Dvalishvili beat Petr Yan
“Anyone who can dominate Petr Yan for 25 minutes—not necessarily beat him up, but control him and prevent him from beating you up—is an absolute animal.”
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— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) August 25, 2024
Despite the mutual respect, O’Malley and his team are still confident in their strategy. They are aiming for an early knockout to avoid Dvalishvili’s wrestling prowess. Nevertheless, the pressure of facing Dvalishvili has not stopped ‘Suga’ from doing interviews and hyping up the fight. As such, he gave his two cents on the most intriguing division at the moment – Heavyweight.
Sean O’Malley speaks on Tom Aspinall’s situation ahead of Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic
Sean O’Malley recently weighed in on the situation surrounding Tom Aspinall, Jon Jones, and Stipe Miocic. Aspinall, the interim UFC heavyweight champion, has been eager to challenge Jon Jones. The bantamweight champion might have a differing opinion from the general public.
Tom Aspinall is set to be the backup fighter for Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic fight (Image via Imago)The fight is reportedly scheduled for November at Madison Square Garden. Fans and a portion of fighters want Aspinall to get the next shot. O’Malley acknowledged that while Aspinall is eager and ready to fight, he might need to wait for his chance until after the Jones-Miocic bout. ‘Suga’ listed out the reason in an interview with Helen Yee.
You almost just have to wait it out. Whatever happens to Jones and Stipe is eventually going to happen. You just gotta wait it out and do your thing. But yeah, that is a tough position to be in.
Sean O’Malley via Helen Yee YT Channel
Tom Aspinall has been confirmed as the backup fighter for the upcoming heavyweight bout. The possibility of him facing Jones will only happen if ‘Bones’ decides not to retire after his next fight. Aspinall has expressed doubts about whether Jones will actually fight him, given rumors of Jones’ potential retirement. As such, the Brit might have to move on to other opponents instead of Jones.
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