UFC President Dana White Expresses Frustration with Merab Dvalishvili’s Attitude

Dana White, the President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), is not pleased with the attitude of Merab Dvalishvili. Despite Dvalishvili’s impressive nine-fight win streak and victories over former champions like Jose Aldo and Petr Yan, his hesitation to pursue a UFC title shot has drawn criticism.

Dvalishvili’s close friendship with Aljamain Sterling has historically been a factor, but with recent developments in the division, including Sterling’s knockout loss to Sean O’Malley, this should no longer be an obstacle. Surprisingly, Dvalishvili is advocating for Sterling to receive an instant rematch and is willing to wait indefinitely for his own title opportunity.

White has expressed his disapproval of Dvalishvili’s approach, and during a post-fight press conference, he criticized the contender’s mindset. White emphasized that the UFC is about determining the best fighter in the world and that those who are not committed to that goal may not belong in the organization.

White stated, “This is not about friendship. This is about finding out who the best in the world is, and if you don’t want to find out who the best in the world is, this is not the place for you.” He indicated that Dvalishvili’s attitude doesn’t align with the UFC’s competitive spirit.

While Dvalishvili is a skilled Bantamweight contender with the potential to challenge fighters like Sean O’Malley, White’s frustration suggests that the UFC values a strong competitive mindset. If Dvalishvili continues to resist fighting for the championship, it may impact his standing within the division, potentially affecting his priority for title opportunities against other hungry contenders like Marlon Vera or Cory Sandhagen.