UFC legend Kenny Florian says Sean O’Malley should start training camp today for an opponent who fights “like a wolverine” on drugs, Merab Dvalishvili.
After an impressive unanimous decision victory last weekend at UFC 299, Sean O’Malley’s next fight is likely going to come against the relentless Georgian wrestler, Merab Dvalishvili.
On the latest episode of The Anik and Florian Podcast, the former UFC title challenger admitted that ‘Suga’ needs to start finding lots more sparring partners quickly, joking that Dvalishvili fights “like a wolverine on methamphetamine.”
Kenny Florian breaks down why Sean O’Malley needs to start preparing today
Merab Dvalishvili secured his spot as the next challenger for Sean O’Malley’s bantamweight title a few weeks ago with a unanimous decision victory over former champ-champ Henry Cejudo.
Despite O’Malley himself putting in an outstanding 25-minute masterclass against Marlon Vera last weekend at UFC 299 to retain the title, the champion will need to take his next training camp incredibly seriously if he is to remain the king of the 135lb division.
That’s the view of UFC icon and former title challenger Kenny Florian, who on the latest episode of The Anik and Florian Podcast, was full of praise for the seemingly unstoppable force from Georgia:
“There’s no question in my mind that that is the most difficult matchup for him [O’Malley] in that division from a stylistic standpoint…That division is filled with killers, but Merab is perhaps the most difficult style matchup because of his ability to put you on your back, keep you there, and act like a wolverine that’s on methamphetamines. He does not stop.”
Florian doubts whether there are even any training partners in and around 135lbs that could help replicate Dvalishvili’s suffocating style, and that O’Malley will need to orchestrate a large team around him if he is to stand a chance of being fully prepared:
“I used to do fresh guys every round, he’s going to need fresh guys every half-a-round, just wrestler-heavy guys that are in your face, that are going to be shorter, that are going to be on you every second of that round, every half round…That’s how he prepares for this fight, that’s what he’s going to need.”
Whilst O’Malley is certainly not strapped for cash given his lightning-quick rise to superstardom, Kenny Florian said that ‘Suga’ will have to invest heavily in the right sparring partners: “He’s going to have to invest in that training camp and the training camp should probably start today.”
In the aftermath of UFC 299, Sean O’Malley also called out new featherweight champion Ilia Topuria for a super-fight in Spain.
However, Dana White dismissed any chance of an immediate shot at champ-champ status as “crazy talk” in the post-fight press conference.