Former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili was shocked by how good Gina Carano looks in camp ahead of her Ronda Rousey fight.
UFC Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey will make her highly anticipated return to Mixed Martial Arts almost a full decade after her star-studded run in the Octagon came to an end. After back-to-back losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes, Rousey seemed destined for a permanent retirement, before Most Valuable Promotions knocked on the door and offered her the Gina Carano fight.
For Carano, it’ll be her first combat sports appearance since an MMA loss to former UFC champ Cris Cyborg in August 2009. The 44-year-old is a legend in women’s MMA history, winning her first seven professional fights and becoming a major part of women earning opportunities in the sport.
Despite Rousey’s long layoff, she’s entering the Carano fight as a significant favorite, due to the age difference and Rousey’s dynamic grappling skill set. But one of Carano’s recent training partners, former UFC bantamweight champ Merab Dvalishvili, is expecting a massive upset that could make the UFC look bad.
Merab Dvalishvili says Gina Carano ‘the real deal’ ahead of Ronda Rousey showdown
During an interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, Dvalishvili made a surprising pick for the upcoming Rousey vs. Carano showdown after training with one of the pioneers.
“It was a great honor for me to train with her. I was surprised with how good Gina is,” Dvalishvili said of Carano.
“Ronda Rousey has a judo background, and I also do, but I think Gina Carano will win this fight. When she was fighting, I was really young and had never seen her fight before, but when I trained with her, I was so impressed and went back and checked everything. She’s the real deal!
“It’s going to make UFC fighters look bad, and she’s going to make Judo also look bad, but I think she’s going to win,” Dvalishvili continued on Carano. “She’s training really hard…I’ve seen her body and her training change in this camp.”
Carano is looking for her first professional MMA win since a unanimous decision win over Kelly Kobold in an Elite XC bout in October 2008. As for Dvalishvili, he’s expected to return to the UFC Octagon later this year for a potential trilogy bout against Petr Yan.
What is your prediction for Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano? Let us know in the comments!
