UFC bantamweight Merab Dvalishvili has vented his frustration after not being allowed to walk out with a Georgian flag for his recent fight.
Dvalishvili, 31, picked up the biggest win of his career last weekend by outpointing MMA legend Jose Aldo at UFC 278. The fight has put Dvalishvili in pole position to fight the winner of the upcoming bantamweight title fight between Aljamain Sterling and TJ Dillashaw. Dvalishvili has admitted he doesn't want to fight current champion Sterling, as the pair are good friends and training partners.
The UFC used to allow fighters to represent their countries during their ring walk, but made the decision to ban flags in late April. Dvalishvili was disappointed he couldn't show off his Georgian flag after beating Aldo, as he told The MMA Hour : "Why can't we bring our flags to the octagon? I started this sport because I wanted to represent my country internationally. I made it, but I can't bring my flag? I want to show people that I'm from a small country and make Georgians proud. Why can't I represent my country?
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"Nobody answered [why]. This is a very big deal for me, fighters are from all over the place. We want to represent our country. I came to the US with nothing, my coaches and team helped me become who I am. Now I represent both countries, both flags I'm proud of. I love the US and I love Georgia. At the least, can I represent my countries flag?"
Chinese fighter Li Jingliang somehow managed to sneak in his nation's flag to the octagon after his fight last month, only for it to be taken by a UFC employee moments after he displayed it. One theory to the flag ban is because of Russian's ongoing invasion of Ukraine and Dvalishvili thinks the UFC should take a note out of fellow MMA promotion PFL's book, who have only banned Russian fighters from representing their country.
"This is crazy because I think PFL do it right, they don't allow Russians to bring the flag and everybody else can bring their flags. They should ban Russians because they are the ones who started the war, who are killing people and go into another country's territory. Everybody is trying to give them sanctions, they don't care and give a s*** as they are still killing people," he added.
