Israel Adesanya gives official prediction for Sean O'Malley's striking vs. Merab Dvalishvili's "Khabib-esque" grappling

Israel Adesanya has addressed Sean O'Malley's upcoming fight against Merab Dvalishvili and broken down who he feels is likelier to emerge victorious. Additionally, the ex-UFC middleweight champion praised O'Malley's superb striking skills and Dvalishvili's tremendous grappling prowess.

O'Malley will look to defend his UFC bantamweight championship against Dvalishvili in the headlining match of UFC 306 at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A., on Sept. 14, 2024.

In a video posted to his FREESTYLEBENDER YouTube channel, Adesanya has given his opinion on the Sean O'Malley-Merab Dvalishvili matchup. 'The Last Stylebender' alluded to the fact that Dvalishvili is a longtime friend and teammate of former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling.

O'Malley captured the title by defeating Sterling via second-round TKO at UFC 292 in Boston in Aug. 2023. Adesanya suggested that akin to Sterling, Dvalishvili is an excellent grappler but would similarly face the risk of getting knocked out if he's unable to take O'Malley down and keep him there.

However, he indicated that Dvalishvili boasts incredible cardio, in addition to fearsome wrestling and overall grappling like the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov. Adesanya stated:

"If somehow -- 'cause styles, styles make fights. Merab's style is not Aljamain's style. They train together. He has a different pace, different cardio, and different energy as well coming forward. 'Cause Sean can fight moving backwards and sniping. But different cardio as well. If Sean hasn't felt that. And Sean can fight. I've seen him round four, round five; looked clean. But Merab is like Khabib-esque mauler. He's like a f**king mini Grizzly bear, just on you."

Israel Adesanya explained that Merab Dvalishvili would surely strike with Sean O'Malley in the beginning while the champion finds his groove on the feet, during which time 'The Machine' could launch surprise takedowns. He seemingly believes that Dvalishvili could take the champion down if he's tired.

Moreover, he feels that Dvalishvili's forward pressure, frenetic pace, and chain wrestling could play to his advantage. Alternatively, Adesanya underscored that O'Malley would be expecting the takedown and could time a knee when Dvalishvili shoots for a takedown.

The combat sports megastar, who's coming off a tough defeat, noted:

"The main thing I feel Merab striking with him for is just to get his hands busy, so he can shoot for a takedown, and Sean can time him with a knee or something. Yeah. I'm gonna go Sean by TKO."

Check out Adesanya's comments below (16:08):

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'Sugar' Sean O'Malley eyes stoppage victory over Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306

In a recent edition of ESPN's 'First Take,' Sean O'Malley touched upon his highly-anticipated title showdown against archrival Merab Dvalishvili. O'Malley seemed to suggest that he's getting "Boston vibes," noting that there have been a lot of similarities between his UFC 306 camp and that of his UFC 292 camp against Sterling.

Sean O'Malley emphasized that Merab Dvalishvili's friend and teammate, Aljamain Sterling, will be in his corner on fight night. The American MMA stalwart asserted that he's an underdog heading into the fight and loves being deemed one, highlighting that he'll once again shock the world by dominantly defeating a dangerous foe.

Vowing to beautifully knock 'The Machine' out, 'Sugar' said:

"I'm going to enjoy watching 'Aljo's' reaction after I sleep Merab as well."

Watch O'Malley's assessment below (3:41):