The bantamweight title contender has a lot on his mind right now. The biggest fight of his career is next week. However, he is still thinking about his friend. Merab Dvalishvili recently chimed in on his friend and training partner Aljamain Sterling’s loss to Sean O’Malley.
Dvalishvili’s take is interesting and certainly adds some context to the situation. Apparently, Sterling was just exhausted from fighting three times in a 13-month span. He was supposed to take a much-needed break after beating Henry Cejudo, but the UFC brass had other plans. They pushed him to come back way too soon, and it seems to have taken a toll on the champ.
“He fought three times in 13 months. He was gonna take a big [time] off after he beat Henry Cejudo, but the UFC pushed him, and he had to come back in a couple of months. [Aljamain Sterling] was just tired, and he wasn’t mentally there,” said Dvalishvili via Kevin Iole.
In the past, many fighters have accused the promotion of prioritizing profits over the health and well-being of its athletes. Aljamain Sterling’s case is a prime example.
This doesn’t mean that O’Malley didn’t deserve the win. But if Dvalishvili’s allegations were true, it would have definitely been a big upside for the challenger at the time. But, there is no way to confirm or deny these, and as such, the fans will remain in the dark.
Sean O’Malley Believes That Aljamain Sterling Is Secretly Hoping That Merab Davlishvili Loses
O’Malley is stirring up some intrigue as he gears up for UFC 306 against Dvalishvili. Recently, his thoughts on Aljamain Sterling and Dvalishvili’s relationship have caught everyone’s attention.
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O’Malley threw some shade on the friendship between Dvalishvili and Sterling in a recent chat with TMZ Sports. He speculated that Sterling might secretly be rooting for ‘The Machine’ to lose.
“Aljo probably hopes I beat Merab. It makes Aljo look better. I’m just curious if Merab Dvalishvili was happy that I knocked out Aljo because if I didn’t knock out Aljo, Merab still would be waiting around. So, I have a little theory that maybe they’re not as good as buddies as we all thought,” said O’Malley.
O’Malley’s remarks paint a picture of a fighter who’s both confident and keen to get into his opponent’s head. The rivalry between him and Merab Dvalishvili is heating up as UFC 306 draws closer. Fans eagerly await to see if O’Malley can hold his own against the relentless pressure of ‘The Machine.’
