The aspirant for the bantamweight championship is grappling with a flurry of thoughts presently. His most significant bout to date lies in store in the forthcoming week. Yet he can’t help but dwell on the thoughts of his comrade. Recently, Merab Dvalishvili enlightened us with his perspective regarding the defeat suffered by his friend and training mate, Aljamain Sterling, in the hands of Sean O’Malley. Dvalishvili’s insights are certainly intriguing and bring an additional depth of understanding to the situation.
According to him, Sterling was battling fatigue, having participated in three high-intensity fights within a time space of 13 months. It was expected of Sterling to take a much-deserved hiatus post his victory over Henry Cejudo, instead, the directives from the UFC management led him towards a different path. The decision of the management to push him back into the fray prematurely appears to have negatively impacted the champion.
This, however, should not undermine O’Malley’s victory. Regardless of whether Dvalishvili’s assertions are valid or not, it undeniably would have turned out as a favourable circumstance for the challenger during that fight. Despite this, there’s no concrete method to either substantiate or disprove these claims, leaving the fans cloaked in uncertainty.
There was another source of controversy when O’Malley commented on the relationship between Dvalishvili and Sterling in a recent conversation with TMZ Sports. He suggested that Sterling might subtly be wanting ‘The Machine’ to perish. O’Malley’s articulated, ‘Aljo is probably wishing I defeat Merab. This, in turn, boosts Aljo’s reputation. I am curious to find out if Merab Dvalishvili rejoiced when I brought Aljo down. If I hadn’t defeated Aljo, Merab would still be in standby. Therefore I have this interesting hypothesis that maybe they’re not as firm friends as we assumed.’
What O’Malley’s proclamations reflect is a figure who is brimming with self-assurance and is adept at maneuvering the thoughts of his adversary. As UFC 306 approaches, the rivalry between O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili intensifies. Fans are on the edge of their seats, watching intrigue as to whether O’Malley can withstand the unyielding intensity brought forth by ‘The Machine.’