Merab Will Settle For Backup In Suga-Chito Headliner

No. 2-ranked Merab Dvalishvili deserves the next 135-pound title shot.

He’s probably not going to get it, because MMA is prize fighting, not a sport, and UFC (like any good brand) will always prioritize the bottom line. With that in mind, expect newly-crowned bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley to make his first title defense against No. 6-ranked Marlon Vera, a rematch from their UFC 252 showdown that ended in favor of “Chito.”

“If it’s not [Aljamain Sterling] rematch now — Aljo deserves it most, but if not that — I am the next guy, and I’m saying I’m ready, I’m healthy, and I’m going to fight, and that’s it,” the 32 year-old Dvalishvili (16-4) told The MMA Hour. “I don’t see why they should not give me this fight. It’s my time now.”

“I would love to [have] this fight, and I’ll be heartbroken [if I don’t],” Dvalishvili continued. “But it’s okay, life continues. I’m healthy, my life is good, and I’m good. But the right thing is I should fight next for the title. I have no problem to wait. And if they really, really make this fight, at least they should put me as a backup fighter.”

O’Malley (17-1, 1 NC) captured the crown by stopping Sterling in the UFC 292 main event last August in Boston. “Funk Master” is not expected to make his comeback until 2024 and continues to tease a jump to featherweight. With the remaining UFC pay-per-view (PPV) cards already locked down for 2023, expect to see “Suga” return at some point in the New Year.