UFC President Dana White has expressed his frustration with Bantamweight competitor Merab Dvalishvili for disclosing his injury ahead of UFC 306 this week.
Merab Dvalishvili is set to face UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley in the main event of UFC 306 on September 14 in Las Vegas. However, Dvalishvili alarmed MMA fans when he shared footage of himself receiving medical treatment for a serious tear he sustained during training in Las Vegas.
Merab Dvalishvili Shows Off a Cut He Sustained Over His Eye 😬
ميراب دفاليشفيلي يظهر جرحًا أصابه فوق عينه 😬
Merab Dvalishvili montre une coupure qu'il a reçue au-dessus de son œil 😬 pic.twitter.com/70ebamg48x
— mmamag.ma (@jamalsoussi10) August 21, 2024
This led to speculation among fight enthusiasts and analysts that UFC 306 might be in jeopardy and that the promotion might need to find a short-term replacement. Dvalishvili later alleviated concerns about withdrawing from the fight, reiterating that he has never withdrawn from a fight since joining the UFC roster. Despite Dvalishvili’s clarification, Dana White was unhappy about the leaked footage on social media.
Dana White Criticizes Merab Dvalishvili “The whole world knows about Merab’s tear because he posted it,” White said about Dvalishvili. “Our guys are incredibly dumb; it’s unbelievable.
There is no other solution but to hire a boxing expert, but you should know that when something happens in camp, there should be no leaks. Our guys can’t wait to put it on social media…”
“It’s a small clip, not a lot, but clearly it had to be posted.”
Dana White was then presented with the idea that O’Malley could exploit Dvalishvili’s injury in UFC 306.
“And why should he know that?” White responded. “It’s an indescribable level of stupidity, some of these people are so dumb that… it’s mind-boggling, it’s unbelievable.”
Sean O’Malley also reacted to Dvalishvili’s tear, calling him a “rat” and begging him not to withdraw from the fight. As of now, the fight between O’Malley and Dvalishvili is still on for UFC 306.
