The bantamweight title modified fingers at UFC 306 final September.
Merab Dvalishvili dethroned Sean O’Malley at The Sphere in Las Vegas to seize the 135-pound championship. The 2 will rematch within the UFC 316 foremost occasion on June 7 on the Prudential Middle in Newark, New Jersey.
Following their first combat, O’Malley went into surgical procedure whereas Dvalishvili defended his title for the primary time. O’Malley hasn’t fought because the UFC 306 loss, and Dvalishvili’s coach, John Wooden, would not suppose O’Malley deserves a right away rematch.
“I imagine, initially, I will say it time and time once more, the UFC is aware of what they’re doing. They’re method smarter than any of us in relation to the enterprise of it, so I by no means knock the on who deserves, or who ought to, who ought to this,” Wooden mentioned throughout an interview with Submission Radio.
“On the subject of making these choices, they make the very best choices. Typically it isn’t the choices we would like as followers, or fighters and coaches and groups, however it’s what it’s,” Wooden continued.
“Do I personally suppose he ought to have needed to fought any individual else? Sure. I do within the realm of the rankings a who’s there. I feel it will have been an even bigger buildup.”
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Whereas Wooden would have appreciated for O’Malley to combat his method again to a title bout, he additionally acknowledges the star energy of the previous titleholder.
“O’Malley has an enormous fanbase, although,” Wooden mentioned. “He has star energy. I do not know the way a lot that performs into this combat anymore. However I might have appreciated to have seen him possibly combat [Petr] Yan once more and needed to combat a real contender or one thing to get again to the title. However once more, that is not our resolution.
“My private opinion, until you have defended that belt a number of occasions and you’ve got change into a man like [Valentina] Shevchenko, [Zhang] Weili, and even [Alex] Pereira, or [Israel] Adesanya. These guys that defended these belts, like Jon Jones. Should you lose that belt, I imagine you have been on the high for thus lengthy that possibly it was an off evening and you’ve got the prospect to get that belt again,” Dvalishvili’s coach continued.
“That is my opinion. Getting these instantaneous rematches are for any individual who has defended a number of, a number of occasions and is mainly a legend within the sport. I do not suppose that is the case right here.”
