“The American Gangster” thinks Dvalishvili is making poor decisions and not properly handling his career. Dvalishvili (16-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) recently spoke to MMA Junkie and revealed his plans for his fighting future, which Sonnen didn’t like.
“What Merab is saying is that he’s going to wait and do nothing else: ‘My next fight will be for the belt. I’m willing to wait.’ In fact, he qualifies by saying, ‘I’m even willing to wait a year if that’s what it takes,'” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel.
Dvalishvili hoped that his friend and teammate Aljamain Sterling would defend his UFC bantamweight title against Sean O’Malley and then vacated it for a move up to 145 pounds, leaving him the space to fight for the belt.
However, Sterling was stopped by O’Malley and now wants an immediate rematch. Not wanting to fight a teammate, Dvalishvili is now saying that he wants to see Sterling get the rematch, beat O’Malley and then move up a division. He’s willing to sit out and wait a year until all of that sorts out. That’s where Sonnen thinks Dvalishvili is wrong.
“When your phone rings, and you’re given an opportunity, no matter how massive that opportunity is, when you turn it down and try to talk about, ‘I’ve won nine fights in a row. I’ve proven who I am.’ Is that contingent on the fact that Aljo has a backdoor deal?” Sonnen said. “That he’s had a conversation, and he’s got a reasonable expectation that he will get Sean somewhere in the near future? Because if not, it would really seem as if Merab is risking his career.
“Merab is great. He is a great talent and he’s beaten former champions. He beat Jose Aldo, whose consensus one of the all-time greats to have ever done it. Merab does have paper and resume, but we don’t do anything in this sport based on paper and resume.”
Sonnen believes waiting for title shots usually doesn’t work out for fighters. The few times he believes has worked out was because the fighter waiting has star power, which he doesn’t think Dvalishvili has.
Sonnen said Dvalishvili already lived up to his end of the deal and was a loyal friend to Sterling by not wanting to fight him. However, Sterling is no longer champion and Sonnen believes there’s nothing wrong with Dvalishvili wanting to fight for it next.
“The scenario is not the same, Merab,” Sonnen explained. “No one is saying that you’re the No. 1 contender, and you have to fight your friend. That’s no longer the situation. … I don’t want Merab to think or misunderstand that, and think he’s No.1 contender now, and of course, he’s going to be the No. 1 contender a year from now.
“I don’t believe he is the No. 1 contender right now, and if he sits out a year, he’s anything but. Whatever his ranking is, it’s going to get pulled if you wait an x amount of time. It’s a very important moment. If the No. 1 goal is prove his loyalty, then Merab, I promise you have, and you are respected for it. It’s honorable. I just want to remind you when that deal was made, it was so you didn’t fight Aljo. You’re not being asked to fight Aljo, you’re changing the deal, and you’re stacking the deck against yourself.”
