Merab Dvalishvili Needs to Eat Punches to Win UFC Gold, Says Ray Longo

Ray Longo is quite familiar with preparing for Sean O’Malley. Things didn’t pan out for Aljamain Sterling. Longo believes he now knows what Merab Dvalishvili has to do to defeat the “Suga” show.

Here’s what Longo laid out on the “Anik and Florian Podcast” (h/t MMAJunkie.com).

“He’s going to have to eat some punches to win this fight – period,” Longo said on “The Anik & Florian Podcast” ahead of UFC 306. “O’Malley is a sharpshooter. If you go in there thinking you’re not going to get hit or you’re just going to do this or do that, I think that’s a huge mistake.”

It’s easier said than done, as O’Malley has proven to have power in his hands and is an accurate striker. It’s no secret that a big part of Merab’s game will be the grappling. With that said, O’Malley has also proved to have the ability to stay on his feet.

Stick with BJPenn.com throughout fight week as we head into UFC 306.