With just 14 days to go until UFC 306, dubbed ‘Riyadh Season Noche,’ excitement is through the roof for the main event, a bantamweight title fight between reigning champion Sean O’Malley and top contender Merab Dvalishvili. As both teams work on their weaknesses amid the frenzy of fight prep, what can you do when an opponent’s skills become your biggest challenge?

This is exactly what’s happening with Sean O’Malley and his coach, Tim Welch, even if they might not be completely aware of it. However, Merab Dvalishvili’s coach has been quite insightful about the situation and talked about it in a recent interview with a well-known MMA media outlet.

Coach offers insight on Sean O’Malley’s challenge against Merab Dvalishvili

From MMA analysts to online betting sites, everyone seems to be backing Merab Dvalishvili over Sean O’Malley this time, viewing this fight as one of the toughest in O’Malley’s career. Even Dvalishvili’s coach, John Wood, is leaving no stone unturned to break O’Malley mentally before the fight. Recently, Wood appeared in an interview with ‘Red Corner MMA,‘ where he praised his protege’s learning skills, which could prove to be a game-changer for O’Malley.

Wood said, “The one crazy thing about Merab, as nuts as he is, even today, watching his cage rounds, is that he learns very well and listens very well. It’s funny because we’ll be in the room, and I’ll be teaching him something, or we’ll be working in private, and he just doesn’t seem like he’s getting it. But the very next day, he will do it perfectly in a live situation.”

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If you hear John Wood’s comments about ‘The Machine’ out of context, they might sound unusual. However, when you take a closer look at Dvalishvili’s stats, Welch’s remarks seem spot on. Early in his UFC career, Merab Dvalishvili lost his first two fights, but he learned from those setbacks and made a strong comeback. Since 2018, he has stayed undefeated on his path to the title, taking down big names in the division like Petr and Henry Cejudo. Coach Wood highlighted this, adding, “He’s a guy who responds to what you tell him to do. It’s been evident in his last few fights, where he’s had an easier time with tougher opponents. “

In his interview with ‘Red Corner MMA’ John Wood didn’t just praise Merab Dvalishvili’s skills; he also offered a sneak peek into his strategy for when his protege faces his ultimate title shot.

Merab Dvalishvili’s coach reveals the game plan for the upcoming sphere event

Heading into UFC 306, Sean O’Malley is seen as the underdog against Merab Dvalishvili. John Wood, Dvalishvili’s coach isn’t underestimating O’Malley as he recognizes the latter’s skill set and striking power.

In a later part of his interview, Wood stressed that even a small mistake could jeopardize all the effort that Dvalishvili has put in to be regarded as a top title contender. He said, “The margin for error in this fight is very small, we’re fighting a specialist who is a sniper when it comes to striking but he’s also very well-rounded at everything else – he’s not just a striker, he can grapple and he’s a legit jiu-jitsu wrestler and the dude knows how to fight.”

Who are you supporting in the upcoming UFC 306 title fight? Drop your picks in the comments below.