In a recent interview with Cageside Press, renowned MMA coach Ray Longo shared his thoughts on Merab Dvalishvili’s controversial UFC bantamweight title victory over Sean O’Malley. Longo, who has been with Dvalishvili since his early days in regional shows, expressed pride in the star’s journey from struggling with English to becoming a UFC champion and social media sensation.
Longo addressed the controversy surrounding O’Malley’s corner shouting Sterling’s name during the bout. He suggested that the incident was likely an extension of previous tensions between Dvalishvili and O’Malley’s camp.
“I think he was zoned out, man. Look, you’ve got to remember, he’s smacked guys on the a** before, right? The kissing thing was new, but I think that was humiliating. Imagine that—you’re being held in a position, and another guy’s kissing you, and you can’t do anything about it. I think that’s why O’Malley sprang up and was trying to hit him with just two seconds left. But at the end of the day, when you do stuff like that in the corner, I don’t know what went on before the fight, but it all comes back to you. It’s almost like karma, you know what I mean?”
Sean O’Malley’s coach, Tim Welch, was caught on camera pretending to be Aljamain Sterling’s coach just before O’Malley’s knockout victory over Sterling. Welch was seen by the fence, shouting instructions to mislead Sterling into thinking he was his actual coach, Ray Longo. This incident has surprised many in the MMA community, sparking mixed reactions.
Sean O’Malley’s coach is the reason Aljo got finished 😭 pic.twitter.com/Jw3rqBjLRm
— Elon Rakhmonov 🇦🇺 (@ElonRakhmonov) May 8, 2024
The coach also commented on Dvalishvili’s in-cage antics, including showboating and kissing O’Malley during grappling exchanges. Longo described these actions as “humiliating” for O’Malley and suggested they were a form of “karma” for the corner’s behavior.
Regarding the bout itself, Longo expressed surprise at how little Dvalishvili was threatened throughout the bout. He noted that O’Malley appeared slow and less crisp than usual, attributing this to Dvalishvili’s unorthodox movement.
At the presser, Merab addressed the incident saying:
“Yeah, so I grabbed his neck, and he had like 10 seconds left. I knew he could wait it out, and he wasn’t going to sleep or tap. I just wanted to have a little fun with him, you know? I don’t hate the guy, I was just messing around a bit, but at the same time, I wanted to show that I was in control, that I dominate the situation. That’s why I was kissing him, but I got a little carried away and lost track of time. When I let go, he followed up and punched me in the head. I started defending myself again and said to the referee, ‘Sorry, ref, sorry.'”
