Unlike Conor McGregor, Merab Dvalishvili won’t let a little toe injury stop him from getting back inside the Octagon.
On June 7, ‘The Machine’ is scheduled to put his bantamweight title on the line against the very man he took it from last year, Sean O’Malley. News of their rematch came with little fanfare, but fans quickly found themselves fearful that the sequel scrap was in danger after Dvalishvili revealed a swollen pinky toe on his right foot following a training session.
Perhaps experiencing some PTSD after McGregor’s infamous withdrawal from his UFC 303 bout with Michael Chandler, fight fans flipped out over the revelation, believing that Dvalishvili would be unable to compete, reducing us to a single title tilt at UFC 316.
“As you guys see, no more black and blue—still a little fat, but it’s good,” Dvalishvili said in an interview with MMA Junkie, ensuring everyone that a toe injury would not keep him out of headlining the UFC’s next pay-per-view. “I’m walking, it’s just a little pinky toe, won’t be any problem. After I posted that, people were like, ‘Merab, what are you doing, why are you putting this on the internet?’ But my coach said, if it’s something important, I won’t post it. That was not important. I have nine other toes—I’m good!
“I was surprised by how much people reacted, like everyone was worried I wouldn’t be able to fight. It’s nothing, man. We got the rematch, you know I’m going to fight.”
Merab Dvalishvili is a sizeable favorite in rematch against ‘Sugar’
The UFC’s return to New Jersey will be Dvalishvili’s second time defending the bantamweight title, the first coming against Umar Nurmagomedov in January. ‘The Machine’ delivered another lights-out performance, handing the Dagestani his first career loss and extending his own unbeaten streak to 12.
Dvalishvili is currently a -325 favorite to defeat O’Malley and retain his 135-pound crown in The Garden State.
