Sean O'Malley gets into Merab Dvalishvili's 'messy' plan, explained by Daniel Cormier

UFC bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley returned at UFC 299 to dismantle opponent Marlon Vera and claim he is the true king of the division. But his climb to excellence isn't over yet, as the Georgian is working hard to become the next UFC bantamweight champion. And it wasn't the fighter he called out in the post-fight interview, but No. 1 ranked contender Merab Dvalishvili.

Merab Dvalishvili, the No. 1 UFC bantamweight contender, has risen through the weight classes aiming for UFC glory. However, O'Malley appears to be eyeing a second title at featherweight and has dismissed Dvalishvili's claims for his title shot. But Dvalishvili doesn't take his firing lightly, attacking O'Malley at every opportunity. Former two-time champion Daniel Cormier has praised the tactics used by “The Machine” to lure the bantamweight champion into a title fight.

Daniel Cormier on Merab Dvalishvili's plan to put O'Malley in a UFC title fight

On a recent episode of the “Good Guy/Bad Guy” show, former UFC double champion Daniel Cormier seemed to love Merab Dvalishvili's antics to get the UFC champion's attention. From stealing O'Malley's jacket to creating short clips highlighting the champion covering him, Cormier believes it's great.

Cormier said on a recent episode: “Once upon a time, when Merab Dvalishvili put on a jacket, he tried to make it dirty. It was funny. Sean O'Malley started saying Ilya Toplia. I decided I had to do it. Do you feel Merab's approach is the right one? You're scaring me and fooling me. This is why Sean wants me to do business with this guy now. Because , because you and I both know it always seemed like it would be this way. But now he's figured it out. Now he's got the champion's attention.”

Dvalishvili's antics certainly seemed to get through to the 29-year-old champion, who continued to answer the Georgian's calls. The call was successful, but how did Sean O'Malley react to the call?0

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Sean O'Malley answers the call of 'The Machine'

The constant taunts and stories about Sean O'Malley fending off Merab Dvalishvili certainly seem to have gotten to the UFC bantamweight champion. In a recent podcast episode, O'Malley finally agreed to fight Merab Dvalishvili, claiming that he was not cheating on him in any way, he just wasn't interested in the fight. He also sometimes added a subtle warning to the champion in his response.

Responding to the call, Sean O'Malley said: “Merab’s [Dvalishvili] Next. Next, Merab is shit. Your wish will come true. Many people said that I was cheating on him. I'm not really fooling that little guy. I like fighting. There are multiple ways to win. I'm excited for the fight now. Finally…the best time to fight certain people comes. Next up is Merab, be careful what you wish for, buddy. ”

What do you think about the matchup between O'Malley and Merab Dvalishvili? When do you think the fight will take place and who do you think will win? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

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