Not all battles in the UFC are fought inside the Octagon. One has been in the works for quite a while now. Post UFC 292, it has emerged in the open and doesn’t seem to be dying down any time soon. We’re talking about Dana White vs. Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili. Dana White expressed his take on the close relationship between Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili. White criticized Dvalishvili for prioritizing Sterling’s aspirations to win the UFC bantamweight championship over his own. ‘Funk Master’s status as bantamweight champion prevented the Georgian fighter from challenging for the title, as the two friends were unwilling to fight each other. In an ideal scenario, Sterling would have moved up to featherweight after defeating Sean O’Malley. However, O’Malley’s stunning second-round knockout upset those plans. Both ‘Funk Master’ and ‘The Machine’ are now vying for a shot at the new champion.

However, Dvalishvili does not want to fight for the title without Sterling getting a rematch against ‘Suga’. This decision of ‘The Machine’ has enraged White, as he thinks Dvalishvili lacks professionalism. Nonetheless, there is someone who understands the situation of Sterling and Dvalishvili perfectly, and that’s none other than former UFC double champion Daniel Cormier. How is Cormier able to understand the situation of the friends? What does he know that others don’t?

Daniel Cormier gets the situation of Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili

Daniel Cormier took to his YouTube channel to talk about the issue going on between Aljamain Sterling, Merab Dvalishvili, and Dana White. According to him, he totally understands the mindset of both friends, as he was once in their shoes. Cormier said, “Dana White was at the press conference, and he spoke about Merab Dvalishvil. He is the number one contender in the bantamweight division but he is very very close to Aljamain Sterling.“

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He continued, “So close to the point that he would not even entertain a fight against Aljamin Sterling. I get that because Cain and I were in the same. Ultimately, I ended up going to a different weight class.” According to Cormier, he once faced the same situation with his close friend Cain Velasquez. Both DC and Velasquez were so close that they never wanted to fight each other. This resulted in DC switching to another division so that both of them would get interesting matchups in their respective divisions.

‘Funk Master’ and ‘The Machine’ shut down Dana White

Dana White lashed out at Merab Dvalishvili for choosing friendship over his fighting career. According to White, fighting is a business that tries to find out who is the best fighter in the world. He believes that if a fighter is not completely committed to the sport, he should not participate in it. After learning about White’s take on the matter, both Sterling and Dvalishvili retorted through their social media handles. The Georgian fighter wrote, “I don’t get what the problem is. There is no question of who should fight for the title now – it’s Aljo or me.” 

READ MORE: After Rose Namajunas Agrees to Valentina Shevchenko Fight, Dana White Ruthlessly Calls Out Aljamain Sterling & Merab Dvalishvli’s Stance on Fighting Each Other

Sterling also made sure that he made his stand clear. The former UFC bantamweight champion wrote, “Everyone making this so complicated either way, I am with you brother.“It seems that both Sterling and Dvalishvili are unaffected by White’s harsh words. Moreover, they are never ready to fight each other by compromising their friendship. What are your thoughts about the stand of Dvalishvili and Sterling? Let us know in the comments below.

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