Merab Dvalishvili Involved in Physical Altercation at RAF Press Conference
"Merab, who will be your next opponent in RAF and why Umar Nurmagomedov? No, never. Fuck the guy. Thank you. But in RAF, no problem. Whoever you guys choose, RAF choose, I fight. Except this, this spoiled guy."
About this episode
MMA journalist Ariel Helwani hosts a wide-ranging episode featuring former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling as the main guest. The episode opens with breaking news that Israel Adesanya is leaving City Kickboxing and longtime coach Eugene Bareman after years together, with sources indicating the split is amicable and Adesanya plans to adopt a boxing-style approach with a team built around him. Sterling, who appeared in studio to promote his rum brand Funk Harbor, provided extensive commentary on the state of MMA training culture, arguing that the sport needs to move away from traditional team gyms toward individualized camps like boxing uses. The conversation covered Sterling's own training philosophy and his transition from Long Island to his current setup while maintaining ties with coach Ray Longo. Sterling discussed recent drama involving his teammate Merab Dvalishvili, who got into a physical altercation at a RAF press conference after refusing to fight Umar Nurmagomedov and calling him a spoiled guy. Sterling defended Merab's frustration, noting the disrespect from Nurmagomedov's camp despite their public emphasis on respect. Sterling revealed he has three potential opponents being discussed for his featherweight return, with Lerone Murphy and Diego Lopes among the names, and expressed hope to serve as backup for the October title fight between Movsar Evloev and Alexander Volkanovski in Abu Dhabi. The episode also featured analysis of the upcoming Conor McGregor versus Max Holloway fight, with Sterling giving McGregor two rounds of fury before cardio becomes an issue, and discussion of Dustin Poirier's recent airport incident. Sterling showed passionate support for the New York Knicks championship and promoted his Funk Harbor rum brand throughout, encouraging retailers to stock the product and announcing a fight viewing event at Chickies and Pete's in the Sahara Hotel.
Key takeaways
- Israel Adesanya has left City Kickboxing and coach Eugene Bareman after years together, planning to adopt a boxing-style model with a team built around him rather than a traditional MMA gym structure.
- Merab Dvalishvili got into a physical altercation at a RAF press conference after publicly refusing to fight Umar Nurmagomedov and insulting him, with someone from Nurmagomedov's camp allegedly approaching him afterward.
- Aljamain Sterling revealed three potential opponents are being discussed for his featherweight return, including Lerone Murphy and Diego Lopes, with hopes to serve as backup for the October Evloev versus Volkanovski title fight.
- Sterling argued MMA needs to abandon the traditional team gym model in favor of individualized camps like boxing, where practices and training are built specifically around each fighter rather than generic team sessions.
- Sterling defended Dustin Poirier over his recent airport incident, arguing fighters deserve grace for having bad days and that Poirier's extensive charity work and clean record should be considered.
- Sterling predicted Conor McGregor has only two rounds of fury left in him against Max Holloway, with the fight favoring Holloway as it goes longer, though he noted McGregor looked good on the scale.
- Former champion Chris Weidman was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame with Sterling unable to attend due to prior commitments promoting his Funk Harbor rum brand at events in Las Vegas.