The noble Merab Dvalishvili prefers to go out with a shield whenever possible.
Riding a 10-fight winning streak in a highly talented bantamweight division, Dvalishvili (17-4), will challenge Sean O’Malley (18-1, 1 NC) for the title at UFC 306. Friend and training partner Aljamain Sterling held the title from 2021 to 2023, paving the way for the Georgian to take a shot at the absolute crown, which he will do in the main attraction of a card titled “Noche UFC” on September 14 at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
When Sterling lost the title to O’Malley at UFC 292 in September, he immediately protested the knockout loss to referee Marc Goddard, claiming it was too early. Dvalishvili followed the result closely and vowed to prove that O’Malley was “lucky” to have Goddard’s light touch defeat “The Funkmaster.” “The Machine” told The Schmo on Sunday that he would have preferred his fight be handled a little differently.
“I’m going to beat Sean O’Malley,” Dvalishvili declared confidently, “and I’m going to prove to MMA fans that he got lucky with referee Marc Goddard, because we all know that he likes to end fights quickly.”
Dvalishvili claims he gave clear instructions to the referee before the bout, asking him to allow him to be punched or choked to the point of unconsciousness rather than risk a premature end to the bout. The Georgian challenger explained that he goes into the bout prepared to “die” and therefore doesn’t need the referee’s help. He proudly embodies a similar but less strict mentality to Pride Fighting Championships pioneer Akira Toji, who famously cleaned his house and prepared a will before a bout in case he did not survive.
“For example, when I fought Marlon Moraes, I told the referee beforehand: ‘I might get caught, but don’t stop the fight. I want to sleep, I want to go out. Stop me later, don’t stop me.’ [Keith] “Peterson is a good referee. Usually he doesn’t stop fights early. He gives the fighters a chance to fight. So I tell him, ‘Hey, let me fight until I die, until I sleep’… It doesn’t matter who I’m fighting. I tell the referee, ‘I’d rather be out than stop the fight early and save me. Save me from what? I’m here to die, I’m a fighter. I’d rather sleep, that’s fine,'” concluded the 33-year-old known as “The Machine.”
