Las Vegas – UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley poked fun at challenger Merab Dvalishvili insinuating that his opponent at Noche UFC on Saturday night is a little less than bright.
“Mostly stupidity. I mean the dude jumped, he didn’t know what ice was, he didn’t know if water got that cold that it turns to ice,” O’Malley told reporters including Cageside Press on Wednesday.
“He jumped in ice onto his head. That’s the person we’re talking about.”
In a video that went viral on social media Dvalishvili dove head first into a frozen lake and bounced. Poking fun at himself he returned to the lake wearing headgear and gloves.
O’Malley (18-1) has never backed away from trash talk, but the build up to this fight has had the feeling that the two are taking things a bit more personal. O’Malley didn’t think it was personal until his fight with Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292.
“I think it’s definitely became more personal when I knocked Aljo out. That kind of made it a little bit more personal,” he said.
“But then I started questioning their friendship in the first place. I knocked Aljo out, and it’s like Merab’s turn, but Aljo’s like no I want a rematch. Then Merab going on and saying no I would have fought Aljo if UFC gave me a contract. I don’t really know what’s going on there.”
Whether he really believes that or is just playing mind games with Dvalishvili just days before their fight is known only to him.
O’Malley may become the UFC’s top star with a win, but with Conor McGregor possibly returning in early 2025 it’s still up in the as to who the promotion’s top dog is.
“I think Conor’s still got one more big fight in him because it’s a big question mark like can Conor come back, can he actually beat (Michael) Chandler? So I think Conor’s got one more huge fight in him,” he said.
“He goes out there and loses his next fight…it’ll be like six in a row or something. It’s got to die down eventually. Maybe not. I would assume he goes out there, if he loses, I’m there. I’m the guy. I’m #1.”
Watch the entire media day scrum with Sean O’Malley above. He defends his title against Merab Dvalishvili at Noche UFC on Saturday night.
