‘Crazy’ Merab ‘gonna take some risks’ at UFC 316, stand-and-bang with Sean O’Malley — ‘I’m gonna show my striking’

Merab Dvalishvili has 14 fights under the UFC banner and 12 of them have gone to a decision.

That’s why the reigning UFC bantamweight champion, who captured the crown with a shutout win over Sean O’Malley at UFC 306 last fall, plans to “take some risks” in his O’Malley rematch, scheduled for the UFC 316 main event on June 7 in Newark.

Sometimes he’s “a little crazy.”

“Our fans deserve some good fights, some super fights, some risky fights, when time comes I will take some good fights, some good, exciting fights,” Dvalishvili told Ariel Helwani. “I think how I’m gonna fight against Sean O’Malley, I’m gonna take some risks and I’m gonna show my striking, too. That’s what I’m thinking right now. Let’s see in the fight, maybe it’s gonna be different, but that’s what I’m thinking right now. You guys know, sometimes I’m a little crazy. So in some fights I’m gonna show my craziness too.”

Being nuts can also work against you.

Dvalishvili is not the first dominant champion to be criticized for his wrestle-heavy offense. Even the mighty Georges St-Pierre, revered for his reign atop the welterweight division, struggled to finish fights in the second half of his storied combat sports career.

Let’s hope fans ignore this mandate and tune in to UFC 316 to find out.