Merab Dvalishvili on UFC 298 Bout Against Henry Cejudo: ‘I Have To Beat Henry, And Then I Will Get A Title Shot’
Welcome to The Weekly Takedown, Sports Illustrated’s in-depth look at MMA. Every week, this column offers insight and information on the most noteworthy stories in the fight world.
Merab Dvalishvili: “This is a life-changing fight”
Merab Dvalishvili’s long, complicated odyssey to the bantamweight title takes one more turn this weekend, as he fights former two-division champion Henry Cejudo at UFC 298.
An Olympic gold medalist, Cejudo represents an incredibly tough obstacle for Dvalishvili. Cejudo desperately wants one more crack at the title, and he matches up particularly well against reigning champion Sean O’Malley–as well as his upcoming opponent Chito Vera.
But Dvalishvili wants to play the role of spoiler, using his unrelenting, forward-moving approach to overcome Cejudo and make a title run of his own.
“I thought I should be next for the title, but I wasn’t,” said Dvalishvili. “So I have to make sure I win this fight.”
Courtesy Zuffa LLC
Dvalishvili is teammates and close friends with former champ Aljamain Sterling. The two were never formally offered a title fight against one another, but they were both adamant that they would not fight one another. That led to Dvalishvili getting overlooked for a title shot, even though he is just as deserving as Vera, who fights O’Malley next month at UFC 299.
Cejudo (16-3) is coming off a loss against Sterling. That took place in May, and it was an especially close five-round bout that saw Sterling gain just enough of an edge to win. But Cejudo is smart, using his smaller size to his advantage, and he is a constant threat on the ground, as well as with his striking.
If Dvalishvili wins this bout, which would be his tenth in a row, no one will be able to deny him a title shot.
“Henry is a great fighter,” said Dvalishvili (16-4). “Henry is a hard opponent, and he’s a great challenge. This is a dream come true. A couple years ago, it was hard to even dream. Now I’m fighting Henry Cejudo, and everything is in front of me. This is the chance I want.
“This is a life-changing moment for me. I have to beat Henry, and then I will get a title shot.”
Courtesy Zuffa LLC
Dvalishvili has not competed in 11 months, last defeating Petr Yan in March. Since then, he has stayed active with his new social media videos, which have showcased his gregarious personality.
“I love to have fun, and I love to joke,” said Dvalishvili. “And I don’t mind joking about myself. I am thankful that so many people like them. They are very fun to make, and I hope people get to know my personality.”
Now 33, Dvalishvili moved from Georgia to the United States a dozen years ago in pursuit of greatness. One win away from the destination, he now faces his toughest challenge yet.
“This is the moment I have worked for my whole life,” said Dvalishvili. “I’ve been taking it step-by-step, and I am almost there.”
UFC 300 main event to be announced this Saturday
Dana White is announcing the UFC 300 main event this Saturday night during the post-fight presser.
Alexander Volkanovski, who headlines UFC 298 on Saturday, said he is willing to fight on short notice and headline the card.
If Volkanovski defeats Ilia Topuria on Saturday, then it is not out of the question that he would return in April for another bout. He did specify that it would have to be against a lightweight opponent, which is interesting because most of the major names in the division–Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, Charles Oliveira, Arman Tsarukyan, Mateusz Gamrot–are all booked.
Yet one fighter is looking at a wide open schedule, and that is Michael Chandler.
Chandler has not competed since November of 2022. He has been waiting, and waiting, and waiting for his date in the cage with Conor McGregor. Whether it ever arrives is anyone’s guess at this point. If Volkanovski and Chandler were to fight, it would be spectacular.
It seems like a stretch that Volkanovski would fight again on short notice after losing under those very circumstances to Islam Makhachev in October. But Volkanovski has been clear that his problem was the lack of discipline while he was out of training camp, not necessarily the condensed training camp.
If Volkanovski wins on Saturday night at UFC 298, then immediately signs a contract for UFC 300, it would be an amazing moment. And a fight against Chandler would be the perfect centerpiece for UFC 300.
