After the long wait, Merab Dvalishvili will finally get the chance to secure the gold in his next outing.
The Georgian fighter had success last Saturday after defeating Henry Cejudo via a unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) at UFC 298. This latest success not only extended his winning streak to 10 fights but also allowed him to get the coveted title shot in the division. UFC CEO Dana White confirmed the move after “The Machine” made the victory this weekend.
“He looked good tonight, man,” White said during the post-event news conference of UFC 298. “He did what he had (to do). In my opinion, you can’t take three years off in a combat sport. It’s never done well for anybody. Cejudo looked great in the first round. I thought he started to gas out in the second round. Merab just got stronger as the fight went on.”
This places Dvalishvili against bantamweight champ Sean O’Malley, who has been planning to instead fight new featherweight champ Ilia Topuria in a champ vs. champ bout. Nonetheless, this will still depend on the outcome of O’Malley’s upcoming rematch against Marlon Vera on March 9 at UFC 299.
The shot has been a long time coming for Dvalishvili, who previously refused to take the title shot when his friend, Aljamain Sterling, was still the champ of the class weight. White called it a “mistake” for the career of both fighters. Yet, with Sterling no longer in the division and the belt having a new owner, it is certain that there is no other path for Dvalishvili but to pursue the title this time.
