Sean O'Malley's coach admits to being impressed by Merab Dvalishvili's 25-minute "domination" of Petr Yan: "An absolute animal"

UFC bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley's coach, Tim Welch, was all praise for his pupil's next opponent, Merab Dvalishvili, ahead of their title bout at UFC 306. Speaking with Red Corner MMA, Welch didn't hesitate to give the title challenger props, and commended Dvalishvili's performance against former champion Petr Yan.

He said:

"Anyone who can dominate Petr Yan for 25 minutes—not necessarily beat him up, but control him and prevent him from beating you up—is an absolute animal."

Furthermore, O'Malley's head coach couldn't help but admire the way 'The Machine' toyed with Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo back in February. Welch added:

"He beat Jose Aldo, he beat Henry Cejudo. He threw around Henry Cejudo like Henry didn't almost know how to wrestle. So, he's an absolute freakshow and he's got a gas tank that makes everyone nervous like he can push the pace. It's almost like a freak of nature how hard he can push the pace for twenty-five minutes. So, he's a No.1 contender for a reason and he's a serious, serious threat so we're taking him very seriously."

Check out Welch's comments on Dvalishvili's dominance:

O'Malley will square off against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306, which will take place at the Las Vegas Sphere on Sept. 14, 2024.

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Sean O'Malley's coach praises Umar Nurmagomedov

During the same interview, Tim Welch was asked for his opinion on rising contender Umar Nurmagomedov's performance against Cory 'Sandman' Sandhagen.

Welch said:

"Yeah, Umar Nurmagomedov is a serious problem. I mean, he is a serious problem for anyone. He's very athletic -- all those guys can grapple, like freaks. They're just so freakishly strong. Their wrestling is so good. And he's not only just relying on his wrestling."

He went on to commend Nurmagomedov's striking as well, saying:

"He's a very good striker, too. He's got very versatile kicks. He's southpaw. He can throw a question mark with his lead leg. He can throw teeps. He's a very dangerous, dangerous fight because he can win the fight anywhere. But I do still see holes. And I still do see ways Sean can frustrate him, and be faster than him, and knock him out also."

Check out Tim Welch's comments on Umar Nurmagomedov below: