“The Machine” needs one other former champion on his resume.
Merab Dvalishvili is contemporary off a Bantamweight championship-winning efficiency at UFC 306 earlier this month (Sept. 14, 2024) inside The Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada, dominating Sean O’Malley over 5 rounds to dethrone “Sugar” (watch highlights).
It didn’t take 5 minutes earlier than Dvalishvili was bombarded with questions on who his first protection is perhaps in opposition to. Whereas the working idea is that Umar Nurmagomedov is subsequent in line after he dealt with Cory Sandhagen, “The Machine” believes he hasn’t executed sufficient to earn a shot like he did.
Trace: It wasn’t straightforward.
“I hold saying he doesn’t deserve it as a result of he has solely fought one man from the Prime 15,” Dvalishvili stated on Jake Defend’s new podcast, Struggle Again. “It’s straightforward to market this man [because of his last name] … Umar is a brand new problem, and guys like this make me work more durable.”
The Georgian champion has already put it out within the UFC universe that he needs to struggle former two-time Flyweight champion, Deiveson Figueiredo, and doubled down on it with Shields.
“I feel essentially the most deserving man is Figueiredo,” Dvalishvili stated. “However, I suppose UFC needs me to struggle Umar. All of the individuals, I see their feedback, everyone needs me to struggle Umar. So, I’ll struggle Umar.”
Whoever Dvalishvili will get in his first 135-pound title protection, the opponent higher be able to struggle as a result of the brand new champion needs to be energetic.
To checkout all of the UFC 306-related information and notes click on right here.
