UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili has praised Aljamain Sterling for his assistance in preparing for the UFC 316 main event.
Last Saturday night, Merab Dvalishvili came out on top in his rematch against Sean O’Malley. He was able to overcome and finish ‘Suga’ in fairly comprehensive fashion, cementing his position as the best bantamweight on the planet right now. Beyond that, he may well be one of the very best fighters in all of mixed martial arts.
As we know, Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling have been close friends and training partners for a long time now. They’ve achieved some incredible things throughout the course of their respective careers, with both men managing to win the world title at 135 pounds. In addition, they also help each other extensively when preparing for fights.
In his post-fight press conference on Saturday evening, Merab Dvalishvili couldn’t help but heap praise on Sterling for what he did for him in preparation for UFC 316.
Merab Dvalishvili praises Aljamain Sterling
“In this training camp, my friend Aljamain Sterling helped me so much,” Dvalishvili said at his post-fight news conference at Prudential Center. “He doesn’t have a fight (booked) – he’s getting married. He doesn’t really like sparring, but he was sparring with me three times a week (to mimic O’Malley). He was two times better than Sean O’Malley’s striking. He was not trying to shoot on me, take me down.
“That proves again that it’s not always the best fighter who wins. O’Malley got really lucky against Aljo. But I’m grateful for my friend Aljamain Sterling.”
Quotes via MMA Junkie
While some people may not be big fans of this duo, there’s no denying that Dvalishvili and Sterling have helped each other grow in a way that has turned them both into even greater fighters.
