Russian bantamweight fighter Nikita Mikhailov, in a conversation with , compared UFC champion and contender Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley with the promotion’s ex-champion Pierre Yan .
Dvalishvili and O’Malley will fight for the UFC 140-pound title at UFC 306 on September 14 in Las Vegas. Previously, the UFC belt in that weight class belonged to Russian fighter Petr Yan. Nikita Mikhailov, who competes in the Bellator and RCC leagues, was Yang’s sparring partner in preparation for his last fight against Sun Yadong, which took place in March in Miami.
— Kairat Nurmaganbetov, one of the coaches you worked with, noted that O’Malley’s punching power generally lies in the straight line, not in every single shot.
– Well, yeah, he hit Sterling the same way. He hit the guy and hit him. And with Pierre [Яном] we talked. He noticed Sean had that punch. But in general, he’s an unpredictable guy and can hit in a different way, he can throw almost anything. In fact, I think Yang is head and shoulders above both of them in terms of skills, and I’d be interested to see him fight Merab uninjured and in full fight preparation. Then I think he would have taken what was his.
— Who do you like more as a person: Merab, who sometimes expressed himself in a strange way on political issues, or Sean O’Malley, who is very open-minded and has already dyed his hair every color possible?
“To be honest, both are unacceptable to me.” Merab and Sean are doing stupid things. Sean is dyeing his hair pink. Merab is talking badly about our country.
—Would it be difficult for you to imagine yourself as a friend of either?
“I think it’s impossible,” Mikhailov told .
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Source : MatchTV
I am Ashley Ortiz and I am a professional journalist working for Athletistic. My specialty is in sports journalism, particularly boxing. I have written articles for some of the most renowned publications on the subject, and my work has been featured across both print and digital media platforms.
