Merab Dvalishvili (Georgian: მერაბ დვალიშვილი [ˈmerab ˈdʷaliʃʷili]; born January 10, 1991) is a Georgian and American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the former UFC Bantamweight Champion.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Dvalishvili was born in Vani, a small village in Soviet Georgia and grew up in an independent Georgia. He moved to Tbilisi, the capital, age nine. He started training at a young age, training in kartuli ch'idaoba (ქართული ჭიდაობა; traditional Georgian wrestling), khridoli (ხრიდოლი; traditional Georgian fighting), sambo, and judo for self-defense. He moved to the United States when he was 21 years old to become a professional MMA fighter.
Dvalishvili started his MMA career in 2014. On June 2, 2017, Dvalishvili's matchup against fellow prospect Raufeon Stots was showcased on an episode of 'Dana White: Lookin' for a Fight'.
UFC Debut and Early Challenges
Dvalishvili made his UFC debut on December 9, 2017, against Frankie Saenz at UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Ortega. His next fight came on April 21, 2018, at UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Lee against Ricky Simón.
Dvalishvili faced Terrion Ware on September 15, 2018, at UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Oleinik. Dvalishvili faced Brad Katona on May 4, 2019, at UFC Fight Night: Iaquinta vs. Cowboy.
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Navigating Setbacks and Rescheduling Fights
Dvalishvili was scheduled to face Ray Borg on June 13, 2020, at UFC on ESPN: Eye vs. Calvillo. Dvalishvili was expected to face Cody Stamann on December 5, 2020, at UFC on ESPN 19. However, on October 22, it was announced that Stamann pulled out due to undisclosed reasons, and he was replaced by Raoni Barcelos. However, Barcelos was removed from the contest due to a medical suspension related to his latest bout on November 7.
The bout between Dvalishvili and Stamann was rescheduled for UFC Fight Night 184 on February 6, 2021. In turn, in mid-January, Dvalishvili was forced to pull out from the bout due to the struggle of the after-effects of a COVID-19 complication, and he was replaced by Andre Ewell. After a positive test for COVID-19, Ewell was pulled from the event and replaced by promotional newcomer Askar Askar, with the contest expected to take place at featherweight.
On the day of the event, Askar was not medically cleared and the bout was canceled. The bout between Dvalishvili and Stamann was rescheduled again to May 1, 2021, at UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. Procházka.
Key UFC Fights and Achievements
Dvalishvili faced Marlon Moraes on September 25, 2021, at UFC 266. After being knocked down and nearly finished in the first round, Dvalishvili rallied and won the fight via TKO in round two.
Dvalishvili faced former UFC Bantamweight champion Petr Yan on March 11, 2023, at UFC Fight Night: Yan vs. Dvalishvili. He won the fight via unanimous decision.
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The Fighter Dana White Never Wanted to Become UFC Champion: Merab Dvalishvili (Documentary)
Fighting Style and Athleticism
Dvalishvili is known for having exceptional cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance. This enables him to compete at a high-pace and attempt a large amount of takedowns for the duration of a contest without major adverse effects to his speed, technique or overall demeanour. Dvalishvili often utilises attacks in the clinch, landing knees to the thighs of his opponents up against the cage wall or short punches in transitions.
In 2019, Dvalishvili won a silver medal at the World Sambo Championships in South Korea, competing in the -68 kg weight class.
Merab Dvalishvili's Rise to UFC Bantamweight Champion
It took 7 long years before a 34-year-old Dvalishvili conquered the Bantamweight division, beating Sean O’Malley at UFC 306 to become the UFC Bantamweight world champion.
Merab Dvalishvili vs Sean O’Malley
The first fight between O’Malley and Dvalishvili took place at UFC 306, where the Irishman defended his UFC Bantamweight title. The fight didn’t last long initially, as the referee stopped the bout in round one due to “excessive coaching” from O’Malley’s team. While O’Malley believes he really beat Dvalishvili, the judges awarded the Georgian the unanimous decision win after 5 rounds, handing him the UFC Bantamweight title in the process.
Their rematch at UFC 316 was more conclusive, with Dvalishvili choking out O’Malley to win with an impressive submission finish.
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Achievements and Records
- Most takedowns landed in a UFC title fight (20) (vs. Umar Nurmagomedov)
- Performance of the Night (Two times) vs. Marlon Moraes and Umar Nurmagomedov
- Fight of the Night (Three times) vs. Ricky Simón
- Most takedowns attempted in a bout in UFC history (49) (vs. Petr Yan)
- Second most takedowns attempted in a bout in UFC history (37) (vs. Ricky Simón)
- Second most takedowns landed in a UFC bout (20) (vs. Umar Nurmagomedov)
- Tied (T.J. Dillashaw) - Most total body strikes landed in a UFC Bantamweight match (127) (vs. Marlon Moraes)
- Most total leg strikes landed in a UFC Bantamweight match (95) (vs. Marlon Moraes)
- Sixth most significant strikes landed in a UFC Bantamweight match (57) (vs. Marlon Moraes)
- 2021: Fan's Choice Comeback of the Year Nominee vs. Marlon Moraes
- 2025: Fighter of the Year,[93] Submission of the Year vs. Sean O'Malley & Half-Year Awards: Best Fighter of the 1HY & Best Submission of the 1HY vs. Sean O'Malley
- 2025 #3 Ranked Fight of the Year vs. Umar Nurmagomedov
- 2025 #3 Ranked Submission of the Year vs. Sean O'Malley
Fight History
- Lost the UFC Bantamweight Championship vs. Petr Yan
- Defended the UFC Bantamweight Championship vs. Cory Sandhagen
- Defended the UFC Bantamweight Championship vs. Sean O'Malley
- Defended the UFC Bantamweight Championship vs. Umar Nurmagomedov
Merab Dvalishvili’s MMA stats
The stats show how dominant Dvalishvili is in the octagon and why his record is so impressive.
The Georgian fighter lands more than 4 significant strikes per minute and takes his opponents down nearly six times per three-round fight, an extraordinary total for any fighter.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Significant Strikes Landed per Minute | 4.33 |
| Significant Striking Accuracy | 42% |
| Significant Strikes Absorbed per Minute | 2.55 |
| Significant Strike Defense | 56% |
| Average Takedowns Landed per 15 minutes | 6.40 |
| Takedown Accuracy | 37% |
| Takedown Defense | 82% |
| Average Submissions Attempted per 15 minutes | 0.3 |
His significant strike defense and takedown accuracy, however, leave a lot to be desired and explain why he has four defeats on his record.
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