August 18, 2022 6: 30 pm ET
SALT LAKE CITY – UFC bantamweight competitor Merab Dvalishvili was preparing to face all of the leading names in the department, otherthan one.
Saturday at Vivint Arena, Dvalishvili (14-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC) will action into the cage to face previous UFC and WEC featherweight champ Jose Aldo. The bantamweight bout sits in the middle of the UFC 278 primary card, which airs on pay-per-view listbelow prelims on ESPN/ABC and ESPN+.
Even though he is a leading 10 fighter in the bantamweight department, seeing Aldo (31-7 MMA, 13-6 UFC) as the challenger noted on his bout contract was a surprise for Dvalishvili.
“When UFC call me and offer me this battle, I was surprised duetothefactthat I was prepared for everybody, however not for Jose Aldo,” Dvalishvili informed pressreporters at Wednesday’s UFC 278 media day. “I was thinking everyone else however not Jose Aldo,