Merab Dvalishvili on What’s Different About Rematch
Merab Dvalishvili spoke to reporters following an open workout session. He revealed what’s different going into his rematch against Sean O’Malley (via MMAJunkie).
“Him and his coach studied our fight,” Dvalishvili said. “They know what are my strongest ways, what are my weaknesses. They have a long camp and I’m waiting and I’m accepting the best version of Sean O’Malley. That’s my job to take this fight serious. I should not look down on him because I’m ready to work. Hopefully, I’m going to make it much easier.”
The bantamweight champion also discussed his recent toe injury. Dvalishvili says that while the pinky toe is “fat,” it is no longer black and blue. He feels it won’t be an issue on fight night and he was surprised that fans made a big deal about it.
Furthermore, Dvalishvili anticipates a more competitive fight this go-around.
“It definitely feels different because the first time I was the challenger,” Dvalishvili said. “Now, I’m a champion. This time, he’s the challenger. I already beat him. In the beginning, it was hard to motivate myself to fight the same guy who I dominated. Now, I know he’s going to change a lot of things. He’s already changed his lifestyle and everything. We may see Sean defend my takedowns and we may see we go fight striking. I’m ready for that. It’s going to be a good fight, for sure.
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