Matt Brown can’t wait to see Marlon Vera battle Sean O’Malley for the bantamweight title at UFC 299, but there’s also part of him that’s devastated for Merab Dvalishvili.
Despite putting together an impressive nine-fight win streak and sitting near the top of the rankings, Dvalishvili—No. 3 at 135 pounds on MMA Fighting’s list—was ultimately passed over by UFC matchmakers, with Vera getting the title shot instead. Of course, Vera remains the only person to hand O’Malley a loss in the champ’s pro MMA career, so that obviously played a major part in the rematch getting booked. But it doesn’t soothe the sting of Dvalishvili not getting a shot he likely earned.
Brown understands Dvalishvili’s frustration and disappointment, especially if rumors come true and Dvalishvili ends up fighting former two-division UFC champ Henry Cejudo instead.
“We feel bad for Merab not getting the title shot,” Brown said on the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer. “Now he’s got to go fight Henry Cejudo. It’s not like he gets a tune-up fight or a keep-warm fight. Keep him in there and keep everything sharp for that title fight. Now you’ve got to go fight one of the greatest combat sports athletes of all-time.
“If he loses that fight, that changes the trajectory of his life. It’s certainly not too cool, but it is what it is. This is the world we live in now.”
Long before Monday’s announcement, Brown expected Vera to land the title shot because the writing was already on the wall after O’Malley beat Aljamain Sterling to become champ.
O’Malley called for the fight numerous times so he could have the chance to avenge his only loss, and Vera remains one of the most popular and marketable bantamweights.
Combined, those two factors essentially left Dvalishvili on the outside looking in.
“We understand what the UFC’s model is and why they do what they do,” Brown said. “It’s hard to hate on it.
“[But] we like seeing those guys [who] deserve it, get it. That’s what we want to see as hardcore fans. We’re way more interested in seeing a guy work his way up there, the No. 1 ranked guy. We would rather see Merab get the fight.”
That being said, Brown knows what’s happening in the bantamweight division is the same thing that’s unfolded in numerous other title fights in the past.
Whether it’s Nick Diaz getting a title shot against Georges St-Pierre off a loss while Johny Hendricks waited in the wings, or Conor McGregor jumping the line at lightweight so he could have the chance to become a two-division champion, winning may still matter the most, but star power definitely doesn’t hurt.
“The more prominent you are, the faster your path is going to be,” Brown explained. “It’s not one or the other. It’s the UFC still so you still have to go out there and win fights, so merit is still going to matter. It [just doesn’t matter] as much if you’re more prominent.”
As for the title fight that’s actually booked, Brown anticipates O’Malley and Vera putting on a spectacular show, and there’s little doubt the UFC had the same thought in mind when approaching this bit of matchmaking.
In his last six fights, Vera has produced a 5-1 record with two knockouts, while also racking up two Performance of the Night bonuses as well as two awards for Fight of the Night. Meanwhile, O’Malley has gone undefeated in his past six outings, including his stunning knockout win over Sterling to win the title.
“It kind of gets me fired up,” Brown said of O’Malley vs. Vera. “I love ‘Chito.’ I love watching him fight. The way Sean O’Malley’s been looking these last few fights — I was never a ‘Suga’ Sean guy, I never thought he would get to the title, I thought he would get smashed by Aljamain — I was never on that ‘Suga’ train, but he has proved me wrong time and time again.
“I’ve got to believe in what he’s doing. I kind of believe more in what Sean’s doing, but I like watching ‘Chito’ more. I’m stoked for that guy. I’d love to see him go out there and get it done. Sean O’Malley’s looking absolutely phenomenal, but ‘Chito,’ this guy has a fire under his ass. I think he might be able to pull this out.”