Merab Dvalishvili: In the future, a UFC champion will also emerge from Azerbaijan

Interest in UFC in Baku is very high in Georgia. There are no tickets left for Baku in either Batumi or Tbilisi.

As reported by BAKU.WS with reference to Oxu.Az, this was stated at a briefing by the star guest of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) tournament to be held in Baku, UFC bantamweight champion, Georgian fighter Merab Dvalishvili.

He noted that it is difficult for him to name a favorite in the main fight of the evening.

"I am friends with Jamahal Hill, and Khalil Rountree and I train in the same gym, we are also friends. Hill is a former champion, and Rountree is an athlete who is fighting for the title. Both performed very well in their last fights. I cannot predict who will win in this pair," said M. Dvalishvili.

Merab found it difficult to answer the question of how many years it would take for an Azerbaijani athlete to repeat his success.

"It's a difficult question. There are many strong fighters in Azerbaijan, and three Azerbaijanis will be fighting in the tournament that will take place on June 21. This is already a big event for the country. We also wanted to bring UFC to Georgia, but it was difficult, it didn't work out. Outside of Azerbaijan, there are fighters of Azerbaijani origin, and they also represent the country. I think that in the future, a UFC champion will also emerge from your country," he added.

Recall that UFC Fight Night will take place on June 21 at Baku Crystal Hall. The main event of the evening will be the confrontation between former UFC light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill and former title contender Khalil Rountree. The second most important fight of the evening will be a lightweight bout between our compatriot Rafael Fiziev and Chilean representative Ignacio Bahamondes.

As part of the tournament, Azerbaijani fighters Nazim Sadykhov and Tofig Musayev will also enter the octagon. Their opponents will be Brazilian Nicolas Motta and Kyrgyzstan representative Myktybek Orolbay, respectively.