Merab Dvalishvili is set for his second bantamweight title defense against Sean O’Malley at UFC 316. However, his coach revealed that he was in such poor condition, he nearly missed his first title defense back in January.
After securing the title by defeating O`Malley last September, Dvalishvili quickly agreed to face Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311. Nurmagomedov, known for his grappling expertise, was seen as a significant challenge and potential threat to the champion. Despite entering as the underdog, Dvalishvili secured a major victory against Nurmagomedov, doing so while reportedly being far from full health.
According to Dvalishvili`s head coach, John Wood, the fight against Umar was expected to be Merab`s toughest challenge at that time. Wood mentioned they anticipate fighting Nurmagomedov again and believes they will win. He contrasted Nurmagomedov`s post-fight injury claims with Merab`s condition: “Merab was half-dead for that fight,” Wood stated. “You don’t understand, he had an open wound, he had a staph infection, he was on all kinds of antibiotics.” Wood admitted that, personally, he would have pulled Merab out of the fight had the decision been solely his.
This disclosure sheds new light on Dvalishvili`s performance, highlighting his ability to overcome significant physical challenges to eventually outwork Nurmagomedov and take control in the later rounds.
While Merab`s relentless pace and conditioning are usually his main strengths, his coach was understandably worried, especially since the champion was undergoing treatment for a staph infection. Wood noted that studies indicate antibiotics can negatively impact athletic performance but was astonished by Dvalishvili`s determination to proceed with the Nurmagomedov fight as scheduled.
“It was truly that severe,” Wood recounted. “Yet, this guy, who could barely walk, would then spar 10 rounds and look incredible. So I knew he was capable. In the training room, I was confident we`d win, but secretly, I thought, `Jesus, he`s so beaten up.`”
Despite not being in peak physical condition, Dvalishvili delivered a characteristic performance, earning a unanimous decision victory.
Following the bout, Nurmagomedov discussed his own injuries, particularly a severe broken hand sustained in the first round.
While Wood sympathizes with fighters dealing with injuries, he finds it hard to feel overly sympathetic for Nurmagomedov, especially knowing the difficulties Dvalishvili faced beforehand. Wood pointed out, “The fact that Umar’s like ‘Oh, I’ve got a busted hand.’ You guys asked for the fight. We wanted to fight later on… Then it’s ‘oh we’ve got this [injury], we’ve got that.’ Whatever, it’s the same thing. Everybody is always going to have those excuses.”
Dvalishvili also dealt with injury after defeating O`Malley for the title; the outspoken former champion later revealed a hip injury hindered his grappling training camp. O`Malley underwent surgery to repair the issue and has promised a significantly different performance in the June 7 rematch.
Regardless of the outcome against O`Malley, Wood guarantees that Dvalishvili will never offer excuses for a win or loss, and he doesn`t anticipate this changing.
“I can assure you,” Wood stated, “if Merab ever loses that belt, you won`t hear any excuses from him. You won`t hear `oh my leg was falling off, it was raining outside` or whatever they come up with. Umar was a tough fight. There was no doubt in my mind Merab was going to win that fight. Merab`s fighting style and what he brings to the table are simply unique. People don`t grasp it.” He added about the O`Malley rematch, “That`s why this fight is somewhat intriguing because Sean understands that now. Tim [Welch, O`Malley`s coach] understands that, they`ve felt it. What will happen is they might have a good round or two, but once things unfold as they did before, it will be even more disheartening and deflating than the first time. That`s what makes it a different kind of challenge for us.”
Wood knows that whether he`s banged up, sick, or injured, Dvalishvili will never back down from a fight. If the UFC permitted it, he`d be the most active champion on the roster. “He loves to fight,” Wood affirmed. “He wants to fight three more times after this if he can. If he could fight every other month, he would.”
