Merab Dvalishvili Picks ‘Most Deserving’ Contender He Hasn’t Fought Yet, And It’s Not a Team Khabib Cousin

Bantamweight king and dominant scrambler, Merab Dvalishvili, puts his title to the test yet another time at the upcoming UFC 320: Ankalaev vs. Pereira 2 PPV feature co-headliner. Before this, he fought Sean O’Malley a second time and even defeated Umar Nurmagomedov. But, as the fight clique knows now, Dvalishvili is no fan of Nurmagomedov and would rather see peer Mario Bautista get his dues and a top crack if he wins.

A Judo black belt and multi-time Sambo World Champ, Merab Dvalishvili, and Spanish-Georgian Ilia Topuria are the next wave of dominance in the UFC. To that end, they have all but replaced their Caucasus region counterparts, the opposing dominant Dagestani MMA dynasty.

Before getting his title crack, Nurmagomedov was riding on a 6-0 winning streak and nearing that 8-0 contender club, and was often touted as deserving of it. The Georgian ‘Machine’ wasn’t a fan of the branding and Khabib Nurmagomedov’s cousin getting a shot when he himself went on a 10-fight streak and cracked a few champs to earn his.

Recently, Dvalishvili was asked for his thoughts on Nurmagomedov’s upcoming bout vs. the #8-ranked 135-pound contender, Mario Bautista, who happens to have the second-longest win streak (after him) in the bantamweight division. While no cousin of the great Khabib, the champ still billed Bautista as a more deserving fighter.

I hope Bautista whoop Umar’s a** and I will fight Bautista next because Bautista is a good, good fighter, you know, …He is on a good winning streak. He beat a lot of good guys; Bautista’s cousin’s name is not Khabib. That’s why he needs to have a 9-fight win streak to maybe, maybe fight for the belt…

Merab Dvalishvili to MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn in UFC 320 pre-fight media interview

Dvalishvili had quite the build-up with Umar for his UFC 311: Makhachev vs. Moicano PPV maiden defense. After a heated kick-off presser, he wasn’t even allowed in the UFC PI (LV) bounds as the challenger, Umar and other Team Khabib entourage were training there, and UFC did not want a scuffle.

Hence, he always dumbed down that Nurmagomedov was undeserving and rode on the coattails of his cousin’s success. Dvalishvili survived some initial charge to dominate the championship rounds and defeated him via UD (48-47 | 49-46 | 48-47). He later stated that Umar needs a few wins in the box to deserve another shot against him; to that end, Bautista rides ahead.

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The Team MMA Lab striker has been on an 8-fight winning streak since UFC 259: Blachowicz vs. Adesanya, and has back-to-back Ws (decisions) in the box over former world champs Patchy Mix and Jose Aldo. While sometimes critiqued for slow-running decisions, Bautista is an exciting option and will aim to make it to 9 wins in a row at UFC 321, when he faces Nurmagomedov. Good thing is – he’s eagle-eyed for a top contender status as well.

Mario Bautista was keen on ‘top five’ fight and also had a former champ in mind for it

Mario Bautista’s impressive UFC 316 victory propelled him up to #9 in the UFC Bantamweight rankings (currently #8) on the official athletes’ listings. Much like divisional champ Merab Dvalishvili, the fighter often catches flak for decision wins; there was even a post-fight mic snub and boos at UFC 316: Dvalishvili vs. O’Malley 2, Newark, NJ.

To top it off, live crowds also didn’t like the scoring when he swiped out a fan-favorite like Aldo. While he considered injuries could stop his momentum, Bautista did not let anything affect his stride. He even wanted prime challenges against Nurmagomedov and Deiveson Figueiredo to climb the ladder, until the UFC 321 booking became a reality.

I definitely want a top-five fight or something really close, you know? I like that Umar fight, and I like Figgy…[that is[ if his knees are good ebd of year…Ideally, though, someone in the top five who can get me closer to a title shot. With a win over Umar, I’m 100% right there. There’s no denying me at that point. I need a fight like that.

Mario Bautista in an exclusive interview to MiddleEasy

A bona fide legend and former champ, Figueiredo fell prey to prime boxer Petr Yan’s standup and intelligent trips and TDs at UFC Macau. After that thriller, Figgy then suffered a freak second-round knee injury to #4-ranked contender Cory Sandhagen at UFC Des Moines. So it was always a gamble, but worth it.

The win vs. Figgy impacted Sandman getting a title shot. If a fighter like Bautista could wipe out or finish another legend like Figueiredo, after Aldo, it’d be no fluke and slate his chances in top-tier bouts. However, now he gets to prove that against Nurmagomedov and a win this October could write his ticket against champion Merab Dvalishvili.

ALSO READ: Team Merab Dvalishvili Tease ‘Jaw-Dropping’ Changes in Reign, Ahead Of UFC 320 Title Bout