The world of MMA is no stranger to drama, both inside and outside the octagon. Recently, a new chapter unfolded in the ongoing saga between Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley’s camp, especially with his head coach, Tim Welch.
Dvalishvili has finally spoken out about a heated exchange. It all went down during the start of the first round of the UFC 306 main event. He was pointing to O’Malley’s corner and yelling, prompting the referee to stop the fight. The Georgian fighter now came out with his side of the story.
“Everyone is asking what happened at start of fight…I made no eye contact with O’Malleys team. BUT when the fight started I hear his team calling out to me – Merab.. trying to coach , provoke and distract me. I yelled back at them cut it out and coach your own guy .. this is the way they want their Fighter to win. It’s a shame how disrespectful they are and that they have zero sportsmanship!” wrote Dvalishvili via X.
According to Merab, O’Malley’s team was pulling some questionable moves. Let’s be real. MMA isn’t exactly a tea party. But there’s a line between competitive spirit and plain old bad sportsmanship. Dvalishvili firmly believes that line was crossed.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time such tactics have been employed. Dvalishvili claimed they pulled similar stunts with his teammate, Aljamain Sterling and even video of that is present as well. It’s becoming a bit of a pattern from the ‘Suga’ team.
Merab Dvalishvili Has No Fear Of ‘Deportation,’ Wants To Slap Sean O’Malley’s Coach
MMA fighters are known for their tough talk, but Merab Dvalishvili just took it to a whole new level. The Georgian-born UFC bantamweight has been making waves lately, not just for his impressive winning streak but for his fiery words outside the octagon.
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Dvalishvili’s latest target, other than Sean O’Malley, was none other than his coach, Tim Welch. It seems the bad blood between these two camps reached a boiling point before the fight. ‘The Machine’ was not happy with how Welch treated him and commented on his desired approach.
“I fixed my immigration papers, and I can [fly] to my country or whatever country I want. Now I’m a citizen, and now I can slap Sean O’Malley’s coach, and no one will deport me from the U.S,” said Dvalishvili at the UFC 306 media day interview.
Merab Dvalishvili’s boldness is pretty entertaining. It’s like watching a shy kid in class suddenly stand up and roast the teacher. And his recent performance against O’Malley didn’t just get him the belt but also the respect he so craved.
