Heidi Androl interviews bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili backstage at UFC Vegas 83 as he discusses accepting a fight …
great to see you morab you know let’s talk about the rumor mill that’s out there there’s a lot of talk about Henry cejudo next for you is there truth that is he in fact your next opponent yes that’s what they offer me I say yes and um I don’t know when we we are fighting what day but I’m ready I’m I’m training every day and uh I’m ready for fight him you know how’s the hand good it’s finally feeling good good it’s still not 100% but I’m I’m I’m training I’m sparing I’m punching I’m grappling and I’m doing everything and uh hand is good now good I know that you had said that perhaps it would be the end of 2023 when you would be feeling ready uh when did you get back to training I never stopped training I was running I was swimming uh I was uh yeah first it was very hard beginning I cannot grab anything but I was doing other exercise like I was cardio yeah doing some other things but I I start I I start training I think up there like I with this hand like three months later or something yeah yeah but now I’m I’m good very good you know Henry cejudo may have the Olympic gold but you’ve kind of established yourself as the takeown artist uh you know in MMA would you look at this matchup um and due to that do you see it contested mostly on the map I I give him respect and I give all my opponents respect especially hry seudo is the greatest um champion and he he was after Al beat him and uh um yeah I I’m excited this going to be big test for me and um even I feel I don’t need the test anymore because I have a 95 win streak and I beat whoever they give me whoever they put front of me and I think I deserve to fight T fight title fight but they give me another test Henry seudo but I’m thankful it’s um I have to I have to do my best I have to beat him and I have to uh earn it again title fight and hopefully this time this time I will fight for title and whoever will be winner of uh whoever will be winner of Chitto Vera and Shan I will fight next do you have a prediction um I hope omali wins uh because I want to fight him you know he Superstar and uh you know I I’ve been calling him since 2018 since I win my first fight in Russia and I was calling him I’m I’m chasing him he he may be good guy he’s maybe good fighter but I just want to fight him because you know I you know I just want to test myself [Applause] too