UFC Fight Night: Yan vs. Dvalishvili is headlined by a massive fight in the bantamweight division between former champion Petr Yan and No. 3 ranked Merab Dvalishvili.
Top bantamweight contender Sean O’Malley gave his breakdown of the matchup and his prediction for the out coming on his YouTube Channel.
“What I think is so interesting about this fight is both of these guys beat Jose Aldo, but both beat him in very significantly different ways,” O’Malley said. “Yan beat Aldo in the fifth. Kind of broke him, out techniqued and out gassed him. He got the job done, finished him. 194 significant strikes against Aldo.
“Merab beat Aldo in a very different way. He beat him with 57 punches. It was a three-round fight as well. Held him. Didn’t do much. It’s hard to say. That’s how a lot of Marab’s fights go besides Marlon Moraes. That fight was sick.”
Looking at the five-round match up between Yan and Dvalishvili, O’Malley considers Yan the better all around fighters, but that doesn’t always equate in a win.
“It’s going to be interesting. I don’t know if he (Yan) will be able to damage Merab as much if Merab is on him the whole time,” said O’Malley. “I think we were surprised with Petr’s wrestling the first fight with Aljo (Aljamain Sterling), and Aljo came out in the second round and was able to take him down, that his back.
“The think is, Aljo thinks wrestle to jiu-jitsu. Merab thinks wrestle, wrestle, wrestle,” continued O’Malley. “Will he be able to do that against Petr Yan? I don’t know. That’s what’s so exciting and we get to find out. I think Petr is overall is a better mixed martial artist. Merab, he’s very good. He’s great, but I think Merab has less tools, but the tool that he does have can definitely get him this win.”
Sean O’Malley’s official Yan vs. Dvalishvili prediction
“My official prediction, I’m taking Petr Yan in the fifth round. I think it’s going to be a war,” said O’Malley. “I keep saying stuff and then I picture Merab grabbing him and Petr trying to get away. Overall I’m taking Petr Yan fifth round TKO.
“Petr’s one of my favorite guys to watch fight. Obviously I have a very close fight with him myself. It was close.”
Sean O’Malley gives his prediction for Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili
