While he recognizes the challenge ahead of him, Dvalishvili questions O’Malley’s ability to hold onto his title, considering he wasn’t able to hold onto his jacket at UFC 288.
“I want to take his belt now,” Dvalishvili said. “I already took his jacket. I have a question for you. He can’t even defend his jacket, how’s he going to defend his belt?
“He give me jacket first, and then after he was crying. What kind of man he is. When you give somebody something, you should not cry and take back. Especially, he was crying in front of boss.”
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In the lead up to this fight, Dvalishvili traveled to Mexico to train his boxing. While Dvalishvili seemingly has a grappling advantage in this matchup, on paper, he wants to fight in a Mexican style on Saturday night, using constant forward pressure and boxing to break O’Malley until an eventual KO finish. After all, UFC 306, also known as Riyadh Season Noche UFC, is a tribute to, and celebration of, Mexico’s impact on combat sports.
“I love the country of Mexico, and I love Mexican people because they are hard workers,” Dvalishvili said. “They support each other, and I love it. They’re tough people, they’re warrior people, they support each other, and they are tight together. I feel like I am one of them. I’m a warrior, I like to support my friends, my people. We have a connection and I’m going to represent Mexico.
“I have a big heart. If he hits me hard, he’s going to wake me up; he’s going to wake up the animal in me and I’m going to go even more hard.”