A fight between Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili for the UFC bantamweight championship is all but confirmed. The fighters have been targeting each other online for months and have repeatedly suggested that they might main event the Riyadh Season Noche UFC event.
O’Malley last defended his title in March against Marlon “Chito” Vera in dominant fashion. Dvalishvili on the other hand, secured his title shot by beating Henry Cejudo in February for his tenth consecutive win in the UFC.
With both fighters and fans worldwide awaiting an official announcement regarding their matchup, O’Malley’s coach has speculated the reason behind the delay from the UFC.
Sean O’Malley’s Coach Blames McGregor vs. Chandler For Delay In Dvalishvili Fight Confirmation
During a recent episode of the TimboSugarShow on O’Malley’s official YouTube channel, he and Tim Welch discussed whether the UFC has an interest in adding McGregor vs. Chandler to the UFC 306 card at the Sphere. If true, this can naturally lead to other major fights being shifted to different events.
“Sugar” highlighted that Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway is also rumored to be an option for the September 14 card. Yet again, the return of the Irishman can impact when and where this fight happens.
“The Sphere, and Dana keeps saying it’s going to be something f*****g crazy, and then you got Conor-Chandler maybe going around, you got Max-Ilia, you got me and Merab. You got f*****g some pretty big fights to possibly make, but honest to god, I have not heard from the UFC,” O’Malley said.
The champ’s coach agreed that the UFC could be eager to organize McGregor vs. Chandler at UFC 306. Because the Dubliner’s commitment has been called into question lately, Welch thinks that the UFC hasn’t been able to confirm the other fights on the card.
“It’s probably a tough thing for the UFC. It’s like, they want to let you know. If they knew, I’m sure they’d let you know right away. But when you’re dealing with someone like Conor McGregor, who’s just, one day he probably wants it, one day he doesn’t, one day he’s just booger sugared up, one day he’s this. They’re probably waiting on that.”
During his iconic run to becoming a double UFC champion, McGregor was known for fighting consistently and not pulling out despite injuries. However, his returns to the Octagon since fighting Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the ring have been the exact opposite.
With nine weeks remaining before the Riyadh Season Noche UFC event, both O’Malley and his coach expect the official announcement for the Merab Dvalishvili fight to arrive as soon as possible should the promotion decide the bantamweight gold will be on the line at the Sphere.
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