LAS VEGAS – Merab Dvalishvili beat Gustavo Lopez with a unanimous decision Saturday to close out the preliminary card at UFC on ESPN 10 in Las Vegas.
Take a look inside the fight with Dvalishvili, who was the event’s biggest favorite at -900.
Result: Merab Dvalishvili def. Gustavo Lopez via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-25)
Updated records: Dvalishvili (11-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC), Lopez (11-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Key stat: Dvalishvili landed a personal best 13 takedowns – which is a UFC bantamweight record.
Dvalishvili on the fight’s key moment
“I was ready for everything. I knew he had knockout power. I was expecting a good fight. I tried to stay smart, not rush and make no mistakes. One punch can change everything. I stayed smart. I tried to control the fight and win dominantly.”
Dvalishvili on the short-notice opponent change
“In my life, everything changes. I never know what will happen, but I’m ready for war. Unfortunately, Ray Borg pulled out. God bless him and his family. I got a new opponent on short notice. I didn’t care who it was. I’m here to fight because I love fighting. Thanks to my team.”
Dvalishvili on what he wants next
“Big respect for Sean O’Malley. His last performance was great. But I want him to be my next opponent. Let’s make this fight happen.”
To hear more from Dvalishvili, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
