Merab Dvalishvili explains origin of feud with Sean O'Malley and promises to give rival a 'lesson in humility'

Merab Dvalishvili poses in Sean O'Malley jacket. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram

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That Sean O'Malley and Merab Dvalishvili don't exactly get along is nothing new to anyone. Last Wednesday (11), however, the Georgian, challenger for the bantamweight belt (up to 61,2 kg) in the main fight of the UFC 306, this Saturday (14), explained the origin of the disagreement with the category champion.

During the event's 'media day', Merab Dvalishvili revealed that a post by Sean O'Malley on social media, in which he asked if 'all Georgians were dwarfs', tagged Merab and the bantamweight champion (up to 61,2 kg) Ilia Topuria, was the trigger for tempers to flare between the two.

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“It’s not personal. This is a professional fight for a UFC belt. It’s about legacy. Yes, I got angry with him a few times. I got really angry when he mentioned my country in a disrespectful way. My country is more than religion to me. I have my country in my heart, that’s why I started fighting, because I wanted to represent my country. It’s a healthy competition, so if someone disrespects your family or your country, you have to get angry. If you’re a man, you have to want to punch him in the face right away,” the Georgian explained.

On the eve of finally sharing the octagon with his rival, Merab Dvalishvili admits that he can forgive his rival after the fight, but not without first giving him 'a lesson in humility'.

“Now I have something more important to do, which is to beat him on Saturday night, get his belt and after the fight I can talk. Maybe I can forgive him, we can talk. I just want to win and show him that he needs to be humble and respect everyone. Today I feel like it’s nothing personal, just professional,” he concluded.