UFC president Dana White praised bantamweight fighter Merab Dvalishvili following his fight against Petr Yan at UFC 333.
In the trilogy championship bout between Yan and Dvalishvili, the two long-time rivals went the full 25 minutes and put on an absolute show as they went back and forth for five rounds before Yan ultimately edged out a close unanimous decision on the judges’ scorecards.
It was an amazing fight that won both men $100,000 each for Fight of the Night, plus it earned Dvalishvili even more respect from White, not that he didn’t have it before, as he put on an incredible performance despite not getting his hand raised.
Dana White Has High Praise for Merab Dvalishvili After UFC 333
Speaking to reporters after UFC 333, White had nothing but high praise for Dvalishvili both for his performance in the fight and for everything that he’s accomplished so far during his incredible UFC career.
“Incredible. So I signed him after ‘Dana White Lookin’ For a Fight’ and I do that with Matt Serra, who is his coach, and he told me night, ‘I’ve got this kid Merab, he’s going to be a world champion for you.’ Everything Matt Serra said about him came true, and Merab and I have had our moments in the past, but I have nothing but respect for him. He is tough, durable, I mean just absolute savage. And like I said earlier, I don’t think he could have fought a more perfect fight than he did tonight. He looked great,” White said.
What’s Next for Merab Dvalishvili?
This was a tough loss for Dvalishvili, as he is now 1-2 in his three-fight series against Yan, meaning he will have to wait and see how the division shakes out before he can really fight for the title again.
The good news is that if Sean O’Malley gets the next title shot against Yan and beats him, then Dvalishvili could get right back into title contention at 135 lbs as he holds two previous wins over O’Malley. Therefore, Dvalishvili is surely hoping that O’Malley fights Yan and takes him out to claim the belt.
Dana White Praises Merab Dvalishvili After UFC 333