UFC lightweight contender Merab Dvalishvili picked up the biggest win over his career on Saturday, defeating former champion Petr Yan by a one-sided unanimous decision.
With the win, Dvalishvili is riding a nine-fight winning streak. He’ll be ranked in the top 2 when the new rankings come out. He could fight for the title tomorrow, but he refuses to fight his Serra-Longo teammate, champion Aljamain Sterling.
“I don’t know who the hell I was talking to the other day about this. I was like, we don’t. have to deal with that bulls*t anymore,” said White about teammates refusing to fight each other.
“Back in the early days that camps were so small. You didn’t have a lot of different options. We had a lot of these guys going, ‘he’s my friend. He’s my friend.’ You can still be friends and want what your friend has,” continued White.
When then issued a warned to Dvalishvili and any fighter that doesn’t want to fight a teammate.
“I would be a really bad idea for Merab to go down that path,” White said. “Does Merab want a shot at the title, or would Merab rather have people under him jump over him and him have to take on all these different, tough guys when he’s not even getting the title shot when he’s next in line for it?
“That’s a personal decision that he needs to make. If that’s wha the wants to do, I can tell you how that story ends. It’s not a good ending to that story, but he’s a big boy. He can figure that out on his own.”
UFC Fight Night Highlights Video: Petr Yan vs Merab Dvalishvili
Dana White warns Merab Dvalishvili about ‘really bad idea’
