T.J. Dillashaw has an unpopular opinion on UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili’s hardest fight.
Dvalishvili (19-4 MMA, 12-2 UFC) retained his bantamweight title when he outlasted Umar Nurmagomedov (18-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) by unanimous decision in the UFC 311 co-main event.
Former champion Dillashaw sees Dvalishvili ruling over the 135-pound division for a while. However, he did surprisingly pick former foe Cody Garbrandt (14-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) as potentially the champion’s sternest test – despite “No Love” having lost three of his past five.
“I would like to see Garbrandt fight him eventually once Garbrandt gets a couple of wins back under his belt,” Dillashaw said on the “JAXXON PODCAST.” “Garbrandt can wrestle, dude. When I trained with Garbrandt a lot, he’s so f*cking fast.
“He’s like a cat on his feet. He’s hard to take down, and as soon as he gets his confidence back, he hits like a truck, he’s faster than – I think he could do really good if he can get a run going, believing in himself, he could be a threat.”
Dillashaw, who finished Garbrandt in back-to-back title fights, explains the reasoning behind his pick and what it will take to dethrone Dvalishvili.
“You’ve got to find someone who’s got the wrestling,” Dillashaw continued. “Why Umar is such a threat is because Umar can wrestle. To beat Merab, you’ve got to wrestle because you know he’s going to shoot, he’s going to shoot, he’s going to shoot, and then you got to be able to outstrike him. He’s got good striking skills, but he’s not like a striker. So, that’s why I say someone like Garbrandt.”
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This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: T.J. Dillashaw touts ex-rival as UFC champ Merab Dvalishvili’s toughest test
