Merab Dvalishvili is eager to secure his title shot in the near future, but for now, he will be stepping into the backup role for the main event at UFC 299.
After his victory over Henry Cejudo at UFC 298, the highly-ranked bantamweight contender will be traveling to Miami this Wednesday and will participate in the weigh-in on Friday as the backup for the title fight between Sean O’Malley and Marlon “Chito” Vera.
Dvalishvili’s manager, Oren Hodak of KO Reps, confirmed his backup status during a conversation with MMA Fighting on Tuesday.
Ready for Action
It has become a common practice for the UFC to have a backup in place for situations where unforeseen circumstances arise leading up to an event. While Dvalishvili is already slated to face the winner later in the year, this week at UFC 299, the Georgian fighter will have the opportunity to closely observe his potential opponents.
Despite being on a remarkable 10-fight winning streak in the division, there is a belief that Dvalishvili should have been in the main event already. However, O’Malley will have the chance to seek redemption for his sole UFC loss against Vera, who defeated him in 2020 and aims to replicate that victory in the title fight on Saturday.
Weighing In
As part of his responsibilities, Dvalishvili will weigh in on Friday alongside the main event fighters, ensuring he makes championship weight at 135 pounds in case his services are required.
The much-anticipated bantamweight title bout between O’Malley and Vera is set to headline UFC 299 at the Kaseya Center in Miami on Saturday for a five-round showdown.