Sean O’Malley is tired of Merab Dvalishvili and his newfound fame. At UFC 288, the two fighters became an unlikely pair when Dvalishvili stole O’Malley’s Michael Jackson-inspired red jacket and celebrated atop the octagon. Since then, Dvalishvili has been seen with the jacket in numerous interviews and O’Malley can’t believe how the Georgian fighter has milked the gimmick.
Despite Dvalishvili’s impressive nine-fight UFC win streak, he has repeatedly stated his disinterest in challenging his teammate Aljamain Sterling for the bantamweight title, opening the door for other contenders like O’Malley and Henry Cejudo.
However, Dvalishvili recently underwent surgery on his hand and is expected to be sidelined for three to four months, throwing a wrench in plans for the division. Initially, Cejudo was hoping to fight Dvalishvili on the same UFC 292 card as the Sterling vs. O’Malley fight, but now he’s calling for an opportunity to face O’Malley in an interim title bout if Sterling is unable to fight. Despite the back-and-forth between Dana White and Sterling, the champ remains firm in his plan to fight O’Malley at UFC 292.
As for O’Malley, he’s not interested in Cejudo’s offer and likens the former champion to an “annoying little girlfriend” who won’t accept that Sterling has moved on. Despite Dvalishvili’s recent fame, O’Malley is focused on his upcoming fight and has had enough of the red jacket drama.
