Merab Dvalishvili claims “boring” Sean O’Malley will “run” from him at UFC 306

Merab Dvalishvili expects Sean O’Malley to run away from him at UFC 306.

Dvalishvili is set to headline UFC 306 against O’Malley for the bantamweight title. It’s a highly-anticipated bout, and one many fans are looking forward to. However, Dvalishvili thinks the fight could be a boring one, as he thinks O’Malley may look to run away from him to avoid the takedowns.

“Sean will run a lot,” Dvalishvili told CBS Sports. “He will make a boring fight. I have to be the one who steps in and makes an exciting fight. I learned from Aljo and Sean’s fight that Sean was running. He doesn’t care, he avoided the fight, he was running, circling with good footwork, he was waiting for one lucky punch. He found one lucky punch and [referee] Marc Goddard helped him stop the fight early. Now he’s champion.”

Merab Dvalishvili believes he’s the better MMA fighter

O’Malley will likely use his footwork to avoid the wrestling of Dvalishvili, as ‘Suga’ wants to use his range to keep the fight standing. However, Merab Dvalshvili doesn’t think the size of O’Malley will play any role, as the Georgian says he is the better fighter.

“I don’t care, bro. He’s tall. I’ve been sparring and training and fighting tall guys. I see everything. I see all,” Dvalishvili said. “I’ve been sparring with champions in different weight classes — big guys, small guys, ladies and black belts, everybody. I’m very comfortable.

“When you’re tall, it benefits you. But if it mattered so much then the tallest guy would be champion. It’s not about how tall you are. It’s about what you bring to the fight game. I have better technique and better skills. I’m a better mixed martial artist. That’s what I believe. That’s what I believe and that’s what I will show,” Dvalishvili concluded.

Merab Dvalishvili enters the bout as the betting underdog, despite being on a 10-fight winning streak.