Merab Dvalishvili expressed frustration at Sean O’Malley for ignoring him as a potential opponent after O’Malley’s victory at UFC 299, despite Dvalishvili being the No. 1 contender in the bantamweight division.
Merab Dvalishvili was the backup at UFC 299. He was rooting for Sean O’Malley to beat Marlon “Chito” Vera. His hope? To face O’Malley in a title fight.
O’Malley did win, dominating Vera over five rounds. But then, he called out featherweight king Ilia Topuria. Not Dvalishvili, the No. 1 contender in his own division. Dvalishvili, usually calm, was upset. He was filmed watching the main event, visibly frustrated.
After the event, Dvalishvili approached O’Malley. He intended to congratulate him. But his mood changed quickly.
Dvalishvili explained his side of the story to MMA Fighting. He wanted O’Malley to win. He wanted to challenge himself against the superstar, the champion. But O’Malley didn’t call him out. Dvalishvili was angry. He challenged O’Malley to fight him, to knock him out, to show the world.
Backstage, Dvalishvili approached O’Malley. He wanted to shake his hand and congratulate him. But O’Malley ignored him. Dvalishvili was mad again. He felt disrespected.
O’Malley later admitted he recognized Dvalishvili. But he decided to pretend he didn’t. This angered Dvalishvili, but he didn’t dwell on it. He was used to O’Malley calling out others but never mentioning his name.
Dvalishvili was a decided favorite in the fight odds. He thinks this is why O’Malley doesn’t want to face him. He was rooting for O’Malley because he wanted to fight him. But O’Malley called out Ilia Topuria instead. Dvalishvili knew this fight wouldn’t happen. He was frustrated that O’Malley still wasn’t mentioning his name.
Dvalishvili didn’t care if O’Malley was playing mind games. He was confident the UFC would give him a title shot. He had dominated former champion Henry Cejudo in his last fight. He felt the support of fans and was waiting for the call to make the fight against O’Malley official.
He didn’t care if O’Malley mentioned his name or not. He knew the UFC knew he was next. He felt the company had to respect its fighters and give the people what they wanted.
Dvalishvili had won 10 consecutive fights. He felt the fans’ support for his title shot. He understood the importance of fan support to the UFC. He felt the love from fans in Miami and Mexico City. He was sure the fans wanted to see him fight O’Malley.
Dvalishvili thanked his fans and all MMA fans for their support. He might not be a superstar like O’Malley, but he was working hard. He had 12 fights in the UFC and felt he should be 12-0. He believed he was robbed in his first two fights. But he had moved on. He was focused on winning and fighting. He was dedicated to the sport he loved.