Writing his story in the annals of MMA history, Merab Dvalishvili became the first person to dismantle the Nurmagomedov clan when he not only defeated Umar Nurmagomedov but also dominated him in their fight at UFC 311. ‘The Machine’ is a cardio-fueled nightmare for his opponents, relentlessly haunting them from start to finish. Drowning his opponents through his immense cardio, there’s hardly any person who has what it takes to defeat Dvalishvili. However, welterweight champion, Belal Muhammad has come forward to name two opponents who could take him down.

While having a conversation with ‘Barstool Chicago’ Belal Muhammad first asserted that Sean O’Malley doesn’t have what it takes to fight against Merab Dvalishvili. “There’s not going to be anybody, I think, that competes with Merab on that level besides Umar. Like, if I’m Sean O’Malley, I don’t want to take that rematch again because I think I’m just going to get taken down again,” said Muhammad.

Back at UFC 306, Sean O’Malley was completely dominated by Merab Dvalishvili throughout the fight. ‘Suga’ failed to keep up with the relentless pace that ‘The Machine’ had and in the end, O’Malley had to relinquish his title. Muhammad further emphasized that it would be a mistake for O’Malley to challenge Dvalishvili again, as a second loss could completely shut down his title chances for good.

“And you’re like, there’s nothing to do because you can’t plant and throw your punches. You can’t set up anything because you’re still trying to figure them out. So, if I’m in that division, I’m looking at guys like Umar or even Petr Yan who have a chance because they could compete with the grappling. Right? Sean O’Malley, you had that one-punch chance, but if you lose for the title twice, it’s going to be hard to get another title shot,” said Muhammad.

The welterweight champion asserted that his Russian friends, Umar Nurmagomedov and Petr Yan had what it takes to defeat the Georgian boogeyman because they have the experience to tackle such cardio-paced fighters. It is important to note here that O’Malley already has a win over Yan. It was a controversial win but a competitive fight nonetheless. There were also rumors of ‘Suga’ coming into UFC 306 injured. Did that hamper his performance?

Still, Muhammad believes Sean cannot handler ‘the Machine.’ However, Team Sean O’Malley would beg to differ.

Sean O’Malley’s coach believes his protege has what it takes to defeat Merab Dvalishvili

Sean O’Malley is known for his amazing striking accuracy and steadfast movements but all of those shattered when he clashed against Merab Dvalishvili last September. ‘Suga’ is yet to return to the Octagon after that defeat. Meanwhile, ‘The Machine’ has already defended his title against Umar Nurmagomedov. After his victory at UFC 311, Sean O’Malley’s coach, Tim Welsh came forward to praise him. “Umar came out there, stayed mostly southpaw, was throwing some sharp 1-2s in the beginning, and looking sharp,” Welch said.

He further added, “And Merab, fourth, fifth round, just started taking over. You could tell after that fourth round, that Umar was seriously gassed. He was really tired. He did a good job wrestling.” However, despite the praise, O’Malley’s coach believes that ‘Suga’ is Merab’s kryptonite. “He’s a problem. He’s a big problem,” Welch said about O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili, “But I do believe that we could be the Kryptonite to Merab with the right game plan and a good fight camp. With ‘Suga’ healthy, I think we take him out. And we’ll find out, now won’t we?”

Belal Muhammad believes that Sean O’Malley would be defeated by the bantamweight champion, while on the other hand, Team O’Malley would beg to differ. In the clash of the giants, one thing is certain and that’s the fact that the fans will have their entertainment. What are your thoughts on Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili 2.0? State your predictions in the comments below.