Even after securing the signature victory of his career to date, Merab Dvalishvili made one thing clear: He has no interest in fighting friend and teammate Aljamain Sterling.
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“Whenever [Sterling] decides to go up in weight class … I will fight for the title,” Dvalishvili said in the Octagon following a win over Petr Yan in the UFC Fight Night 221 headliner. “Of course I want to be champion, and now I [proved] it again … I am hungry.”In most cases, Dvalishvili’s performance against Yan would solidify him as the bantamweight division’s No. 1 contender. However, Sterling still reigns atop the division, though that could change following his scheduled clash with Henry Cejudo in the UFC 288 main event. If Sterling defends the crown, Dvalishvili might have to explore other options.
However, UFC president Dana White doesn’t think it’s in Dvalishvil’s best interest to avoid a fight with Sterling.“You know, back in the early days, the camps were so …