Urijah Faber says don’t underestimate Sean O’Malley’s grappling towards Merab Dvalishvili.
UFC bantamweight champion O’Malley (18-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) is projected to make his subsequent title protection towards Dvalishvili (17-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC) in what many anticipate can be his hardest matchup to this point.
Dvalishvili’s relentless grappling tempo has posed issues for a lot of – together with Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo at UFC 298. “The Machine” is on a 10-fight successful streak.
“I believe it’s going to be onerous to say,” Faber informed LowKick MMA. “You’ll assume so, however nobody else has been capable of (cease the wrestling), even Henry Cejudo. Actually, that’s a foul matchup for O’Malley as a result of Merab is so sturdy.
“That dude is sturdy. He’s gone towards some killers, and simply type of walked via their greatest offense. The one time he’s actually been damage is when he knocked himself out, slamming himself.”
O’Malley knocked out Dvalishvili’s coaching accomplice Aljamain Sterling to assert the bantamweight title at UFC 292. He was capable of fend off Sterling’s two takedown makes an attempt and preserve the battle on the ft.
Faber isn’t counting O’Malley out if the battle hits the mat.
“O’Malley has bought that ‘it’ issue,” Faber mentioned. “He’s bought a finesse about him. He’s bought a matador sort of favor. Merab is unquestionably a bull, and if O’Malley can have his good battle, he’ll simply be tagging him with clear pictures and staying on the surface.
“O’Malley’s grappling is de facto good. I’ve educated with a few of his coaching companions, actually high-level coaching companions. They know the right way to wrestle, they know jiu-jitsu. It may go both approach.”
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