ANAHEIM, Calif. – Merab Dvalishvili recently competed in a fight and is already offering his services to return to the octagon in less than a month.
The UFC bantamweight contender achieved the biggest victory of his career on Saturday, defeating former dual-champion Henry Cejudo with a unanimous decision at UFC 298. Following the fight, UFC CEO Dana White confirmed that Dvalishvili (17-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC) is next in line to challenge for the 135-pound title.
Despite having a guaranteed title shot and just having fought, Dvalishvili is willing to step in as a replacement opponent for the Sean O’Malley vs. Chito Vera title fight, which will headline UFC 299 on March 9.
“My only goal right now is to fight for the title and win the belt,” Dvalishvili told reporters at the UFC 298 post-fight press conference. “I have faith in myself and I’m continuously improving, as you can all see. Each fight becomes easier, and tonight I wasn’t even out of breath. I felt very comfortable, and this is just the beginning. I have many years ahead of me because I lead a healthy lifestyle and make small changes in my life to be a full-time fighter and train hard and smart.
“I’m working hard and feeling blessed. Yes, I’ll be ready. I can make weight in five days. If they need a replacement, I’ll be there. If not, I’ll enjoy my time and continue training like I always do, and eventually face the champion.”
Dvalishvili has now won 10 consecutive fights, including three victories over former champions Jose Aldo, Petr Yan, and Cejudo.
He hopes that O’Malley retains his title at UFC 299.
“I want to fight O’Malley because I’ve been calling him out since 2018,” Dvalishvili said. “He’s the champion now. I hope he can keep the belt, and I’ll fight him. I want to take his belt. I noticed today he was wearing a nice jacket, so I want that white jacket.”
According to the Source mmajunkie.usatoday.com