There’s no question that Merab Dvalishvili is one of the top contenders in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s bantamweight division.
Advertisementon the UFC 278 main card — his seventh straight at 135 pounds — didn’t do much to raise Dvalishvili’s stock in the eyes of the fans or the promotion. According to UFC president Dana White, the Serra-Longo Fight Team export didn’t make the most of his opportunity on Saturday night.
“I always say this: We’re the bells and whistles guys. We lay it out there for him, we give him the opportunity to shine, and it’s up to you to get out there and do it. That didn’t happen tonight.” “Of course, I wanted a more exciting fight and I wanted to take him down,” Dvalishvili said at the post-fight press conference. “But he was good, and it was hard to time him and take him down. Against the cage, he was good. He was defending my takedown good. Also, I didn’t want to spend too much energy because I wanted to be ready for a strike. But this is the fight game. I kept it against the wall, and I was winning the fight comfortable.