Merab Dvalishvili, despite a swollen pinky toe, remains confident and ready to fight Sean O’Malley at UFC 316, dismissing concerns about the injury affecting his performance.
Merab Dvalishvili insists he’s still set to face Sean O’Malley at UFC 316. A toe injury? Not a big deal for him.
Recently, the bantamweight champ shared a video of his swollen pinky toe. He joked, blaming a teammate, “Why you break my toe?” He even quipped about cutting it off if needed. Surprisingly, the post got a lot of buzz.
“I was surprised at how much reaction there was,” Dvalishvili told reporters. “Guys, it’s nothing. Really, it’s nothing.”
The fuss might stem from a past incident before his last fight with O’Malley. Back then, he posted about a nasty cut, prompting UFC CEO Dana White to call him “next-level stupid.” The cut didn’t stop the fight, but the post sure stirred things up.
This time, White hasn’t commented on the toe injury. But you can bet he might think the same.
Dvalishvili showed off his foot, proving it’s healing. “No more black and blue, still a little fat but it’s good,” he said. “I’m walking. It’s a little pinky toe, it won’t be any problem. … I have nine other toes. I’m good.”
Clearly, he’s not worried about the injury. He’s ready to defend his title again after defeating Umar Nurmagomedov in January.
Dvalishvili vs. O’Malley 2 headlines UFC 316 in Newark, N.J., on June 7. Women’s bantamweight champ Julianna Peña also defends her belt against Kayla Harrison in the co-main event.