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UFC Fight Night 221 witnessed some electrifying fights that took the audience to the edge of their seats. The main event where Merab Dvalishvili and Petr Yan locked horns was a visual treat to the UFC community. This fight proved that Dvalishvili is indeed one of the strongest bantamweights in the promotion right now. He won against Petr Yan via decision after round five. This paved the way for a huge opportunity for ‘The Machine’. The victory made him the most suitable person to challenge the current bantamweight champion, Aljamain Sterling. However, the two are close friends, and Merab chose not to choose fame over friendship.

The respect and brotherhood the two share are among the rarest relationships in the promotion. The Machine refused to call out his best buddy; instead, he chose to wait for him to move up to featherweight to grab the title shot. Nonetheless, the decision of the Georgian fighter didn’t sit well with the UFC president. Dana White publicly condemned Dvalishvili’s decision not to use the opportunity for his personal growth. After learning the response of White, the UFC lightweight, Matt Frevola lashed out at White for caring only about “dollars.”

Dana White is not happy with Merab Dvalishvili’s decision

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In a recent video posted on Twitter, the UFC president, Dana White, was seen talking against the decision of Dvalishvili. White said that back in the day, fighters didn’t have many options, and sometimes they would be forced to fight their close friends. However, now the case is different, but choosing friendship over a belt is never a wise decision, according to White. The 53-year-old added, That’s a personal decision that he needs to make. If that’s what he wants to do, I can tell you how that story ends. It’s not a good ending to that story. But, he’s a big boy. He can figure that out on his own.

 

The UFC lightweight Matt Frevola found White’s comment quite offensive. He felt it was difficult to accept the money-centered thoughts of the president.

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READ MORE: UFC Fight Night 221 Stars Petr Yan, Merab Dvalishvili and Others Bank $194K as Dana White Passes $16 Million Program

He tweeted, “Loyalty, honor, and respect mean more than money, fame, and belts. Not easy to comprehend when all you care about is dollar signs.” The American fighter trashing out the UFC president caught the attention of many netizens. Many felt that the decision made by Dvalishvili was respectable. Some agreed with Frevola, as they said White was an absolute businessman who cares for money over everything.

It is friendship over everything for ‘The Machine’ and  ‘Funk Master’

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It is true that at the moment, Dvalishvili is the right one for a title shot against Sterling, as he is currently on a 9-fight winning streak. However, the two best friends have already declared that they won’t fight each other. Sterling instead might choose to move up to featherweight to give ‘The Machine’ the chance he deserves.

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