Merab Dvalishvili is out to prove he can hang with Sean O’Malley on the feet at UFC 306.
Dvalishvili (17-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC) challenges bantamweight champion O’Malley (18-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) in Saturday’s Noche UFC main event (pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+) at Sphere in Las Vegas.
Dvalishvili recently spent time in Mexico to develop his boxing skills, something O’Malley’s head coach, Tim Welch, sees ineffective so close to the fight. But Dvalishvili insists he’ll be comfortable against O’Malley in every aspect of the fight.
“I’m a mixed martial artist, and I have no problem to fight wherever the fight goes,” Dvalishvili told MMA Junkie. “Of course, we all try to get better. I always try to get better – boxing, kickboxing and wrestling.
“That’s why I’m winning and winning because I’m always getting better. I believe I’m getting better with striking, but it’s MMA, and I’m ready to fight wherever the fight goes. Against a striker, you guys will see more my striking skills.”
Dvalishvili pointed to his August 2022 unanimous decision win over Jose Aldo in which he failed to take down the former champion on 16 attempts but still won the fight.
“I fought Jose Aldo. I wasn’t able to take him down, but I keep it striking and I beat Jose Aldo in striking,” Dvalishvili said. “This means a lot. Maybe some people forget, but I beat Jose Aldo, and I wasn’t able to take him down. I’m a complete martial artist, and I can fight wherever I want.”
In a perfect scenario, Dvalishvili wants to take out O’Malley on the feet but won’t hesitate to use his wrestling when necessary.
“I want to knock him out. I want to prove my boxing,” Dvalishvili said. “I want to show everybody my striking skills, but it’s mixed martial arts, so of course I’m going to use my wrestling and everything. Whatever I need to use, I’m going to use everything to win this fight. He’s going to be tested for sure.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 306.