Matt Serra was not impressed with Tim Welch’s teaching efficiency.
Was that reference too quickly? No? By no means? Okay, good. I didn’t assume so.
Former Final Combating Championship (UFC) Welterweight champion and Corridor of Famer, Serra, is aware of a factor or two about teaching. The Serra-Longo battle crew has been one of many extra underrated through the years, producing a number of unheralded champions. The most recent to hitch the combo is Georgia’s “Machine,” Merab Dvalishvili, who dethroned the now-former Bantamweight kingpin, Sean O’Malley, through a unanimous determination at UFC 306 this previous weekend (Sept. 14, 2024).
When assessing his opposing coach’s efficiency, Serra thought Welch did a poor job, to place it mildly.
“This battle uncovered him as a coach as a result of when your man is successful and knocking folks out, positive, you appear to be a f*cking superhero,” Serra mentioned on UFC Unfiltered (h/t MMA Combating). “When your fighter is clearly dropping the battle — and begins dropping rounds — Tim Welch was, like, not wanting to harm [O’Malley’s] emotions. ‘Okay, good spherical.’ No, you’re dropping f*cking three rounds. You bought to get in his ass. … He was afraid that he didn’t know easy methods to deal with his man [with] that many rounds, and I assumed his f*cking nook work was sh*t.
“So he uncovered himself,” he concluded. “[Dvalishvili] took care of enterprise and Tim Welch had no solutions for his fighter.”
The rivalry between camps has been ongoing since O’Malley gained the title from Aljamain Sterling through a second spherical technical knockout in August 2023 (watch highlights). O’Malley defended his title as soon as, dominating Marlon “Chito” Vera all through 5 rounds at UFC 299 in Could 2024 (watch highlights). Of “Sugar’s” final six wins, the Vera redemption was his second of two choices (18-2, 1 no contest total).
