Former two-division UFC champion and Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier has commented on Merab Dvalishvili’s defeat in his bout against Petr Yan at UFC 323 in Las Vegas, Idman.Biz reports.
According to the American, the key factor behind the Georgian fighter’s loss was disrupted pre-fight preparation. Cormier explained that Dvalishvili did not have enough time to complete his planned warm-up because the Joshua Van vs Alexandre Pantoja fight ended early, forcing the next fighters to enter the Octagon much sooner than scheduled.
“Merab didn’t get to warm up the way he planned because the previous fight ended early and they had to head out to the arena much faster,” Cormier said on ESPN MMA.
This view was also supported by former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen, who stressed that such details may seem insignificant but actually play an important role at the highest level. “In the world of excuses, this can easily be overlooked, but it actually matters a lot,” Sonnen noted.
It should be recalled that the fight between Merab Dvalishvili and Petr Yan ended with a unanimous decision victory for the Russian fighter. It is also worth adding that at the same UFC 323 event, Azerbaijani fighter Nazim Sadykhov lost by technical knockout to France’s Fares Ziam.
