UFC Hall of Famers Break Down Why Merab Dvalishvili Lost His Title
UFC Hall of Famers Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen recently discussed Merab Dvalishvili’s title loss this past weekend at UFC 323. Dvalishvili, who was making the fourth defense of his bantamweight championship in a year, locked horns with Petr Yan in a rematch at UFC 323.
Despite not slowing down for five rounds, Yan outstruck and took Dvalishvili down. Additionally, ‘No Mercy’ made every effort to prevent as many takedowns as possible. After twenty-five minutes, Yan cruised to a unanimous decision victory and ended the Georgians’ reign.
After the fight, Dvalishvili’s friend and training partner Aljamain Sterling discussed how the lack of ample warm-up before the bout was a reason ‘The Machine’ didn’t perform like he usually does.
For context, in the co-main event of UFC 323, Alexandre Pantoja dislocated his shoulder, and the bout ended in round 1. Hence, Merab Dvalishvili did not get enough warm-up before making the walk as per his camp. Although many fans don’t agree with that, Chael Sonnen and ‘DC’ believe it’s a legitimate explanation that many won’t comprehend. In a recent episode of ESPN’s Good Guy / Bad Guy, Cormier said:
“Merab didn’t get the warm-up he wanted because the Van vs Pantoja fight ended early, and they had to walk much sooner than expected.”
Sonnen added:
“In the world of excuse making, this one goes right over people’s heads, and it’s actually a big deal.”
Check out Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen’s comments about Merab Dvalishvili below:
Kamaru Usman lauds Merab Dvalishvili
Former UFC Welterweight champion Kamaru Usman lauded Merab Dvalishvili’s championship run and his being such an active champion. In a recent episode of Pound 4 Pound, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ said:
“You have absolutely nothing to be ashamed about. You did exactly what every champion is supposed to do… Once you become the champion, you have to run it up. And he did just that.”
Check out Kamaru Usman’s comments about Merab Dvalishvili below:
Dvalishvili claims that the UFC has promised him a title rematch whenever he is ready. Even Petr Yan seconds that and agrees that ‘The Machine’ is one of those few champions who deserve a rematch.
