O'Malley On Song's Chances Against Dvalishvili

Sean O'Malley believes Song Yadong has what it takes to beat Merab Dvalishvili in a potential bantamweight matchup.

The former UFC bantamweight champion weighed in on a possible clash between Song and Dvalishvili during a recent podcast appearance with Bradley Martyn, per BJ Penn. O'Malley pointed to Song's size, explosiveness, and takedown defense as key factors that could trouble the Georgian wrestler.

O'Malley Breaks Down Song vs Dvalishvili Matchup

O'Malley analyzed Dvalishvili's recent performance against current champion Petr Yan, noting how the Russian's compact frame and low guard made him difficult to take down as the fight progressed. He then explained why Song could present similar problems for Dvalishvili while adding more offensive threat.

"Song Yadong could beat Merab, too," O'Malley said, as quoted by MMA Junkie. "Song is the same size as those little guys, and he's explosive. He's hard to take down, he hits hard. If Song and Merab fight next, Song could definitely win."

Song earned his way into title contention with a knockout victory over Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC Shanghai earlier this year. Despite that win putting him close to a championship opportunity, O'Malley's star power may see him jump the queue for the next crack at Yan's belt.

A bout between Song and Dvalishvili would settle who deserves the next shot after O'Malley if the two bantamweights meet in the coming months.

Reported via:

• BJPenn — Song Yadong could “definitely” beat Merab Dvalishvili, claims Sean O’Malley