Merab Dvalishvili
The Machine
Georgia
Grapples way to easy title defense
Dvalishvili retained the UFC Bantamweight Championship on Saturday, defeating Sean O'Malley via submission (guillotine choke) at 4:42 of Round 3 at UFC 316 in Newark, New Jersey.
ANALYSIS
It was a classic Merab performance on countless levels. O'Malley looked better than he did in their first fight last September, and Dvalishvili was still able to turn it into a rout in short order, one that would earn him a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus after it was all said and done. Simply put, there's no fighter in the world today, in any division, that can come close to matching the pace of Merab. O'Malley kept things fairly close for two rounds before it all fell apart. Dvalishvili landed 3-of-5 takedowns in Round 3 alone, good for 4:18 worth of control time in the frame. On top of that, Merab's striking appeared much improved. He landed his fair share of damaging shots on the feet and handled everything the challenger threw his way. History tells us that Dvalishvili, at age 34, should be hitting a wall sooner rather than later, but this isn't a normal situation. Merab's next title defense is likely to come against Cory Sandhagen, either late in 2025 or early-2026.
It was a classic Merab performance on countless levels. O'Malley looked better than he did in their first fight last September, and Dvalishvili was still able to turn it into a rout in short order, one that would earn him a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus after it was all said and done. Simply put, there's no fighter in the world today, in any division, that can come close to matching the pace of Merab. O'Malley kept things fairly close for two rounds before it all fell apart. Dvalishvili landed 3-of-5 takedowns in Round 3 alone, good for 4:18 worth of control time in the frame. On top of that, Merab's striking appeared much improved. He landed his fair share of damaging shots on the feet and handled everything the challenger threw his way. History tells us that Dvalishvili, at age 34, should be hitting a wall sooner rather than later, but this isn't a normal situation. Merab's next title defense is likely to come against Cory Sandhagen, either late in 2025 or early-2026.
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Set for O'Malley rematch
Dvalishvili will face Sean O'Malley at UFC 316 in New Jersey on June 7 to defend his bantamweight title.
ANALYSIS
Dvalishvili is looking to secure his second title defense after he delivered a dominant performance in his previous bout, where he defeated Umar Nurmagomedov via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) at UFC 311 on Jan. 18. Dvalishvili is one of the best fighters in the world right now regardless of the division, and securing another win against O'Malley, someone he already defeated back on Sep. 2024, would do nothing but enhance that status. Dvalishvili has won his last 12 fights.
Dvalishvili is looking to secure his second title defense after he delivered a dominant performance in his previous bout, where he defeated Umar Nurmagomedov via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) at UFC 311 on Jan. 18. Dvalishvili is one of the best fighters in the world right now regardless of the division, and securing another win against O'Malley, someone he already defeated back on Sep. 2024, would do nothing but enhance that status. Dvalishvili has won his last 12 fights.
Shines in successful title defense
Dvalishvili retained the UFC Bantamweight Championship on Saturday, defeating Umar Nurmagomedov via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) at UFC 311 in Los Angeles.
ANALYSIS
There is simply no fighter in the world today, in any weight class, with the ability to match the pace and cardio of Merab. It took him the better part of two rounds to figure things out against Nurmagomedov, but once he floored the gas pedal, Umar was done. Merab finished with seven takedowns on 30 attempts. He had just 2:22 worth of control time, but the constant pressure and the ability to close distance in an instant is worth nearly as much as having your opponent pinned to the mat. Umar was totally exhausted midway through Round 3, and Dvalishvili looked like he just rolled out of bed. In the win, Merab passed Georges St. Pierre for the most takedowns in UFC history. It's not a stretch to say Umar was by far Dvalishvili's toughest test to date and he passed it with flying colors. Merab has the look of a long-term champion, even in arguably the sport's deepest division. He'll also walk away with a $50,000 bonus after this bout was awarded Fight of the Night honors.
There is simply no fighter in the world today, in any weight class, with the ability to match the pace and cardio of Merab. It took him the better part of two rounds to figure things out against Nurmagomedov, but once he floored the gas pedal, Umar was done. Merab finished with seven takedowns on 30 attempts. He had just 2:22 worth of control time, but the constant pressure and the ability to close distance in an instant is worth nearly as much as having your opponent pinned to the mat. Umar was totally exhausted midway through Round 3, and Dvalishvili looked like he just rolled out of bed. In the win, Merab passed Georges St. Pierre for the most takedowns in UFC history. It's not a stretch to say Umar was by far Dvalishvili's toughest test to date and he passed it with flying colors. Merab has the look of a long-term champion, even in arguably the sport's deepest division. He'll also walk away with a $50,000 bonus after this bout was awarded Fight of the Night honors.
Defending title in January
Dvalishvili will fight Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 on Jan. 18, per Dana White.
ANALYSIS
Dvalishvili defeated Sean O'Malley in September to claim the Bantamweight Championship, and he'll now be tasked with defending his title against Nurmagomedov, who has not taken a loss 18 fights into his professional career (6-0 in UFC).
Dvalishvili defeated Sean O'Malley in September to claim the Bantamweight Championship, and he'll now be tasked with defending his title against Nurmagomedov, who has not taken a loss 18 fights into his professional career (6-0 in UFC).
Wrestles way to UFC gold
Dvalishvili won the UFC Bantamweight Championship on Saturday, defeating Sean O'Malley via unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 48-47) at UFC 306 in Las Vegas.
ANALYSIS
This fight was not as close as the scorecards would lead you to believe. Competing for UFC gold for the first time in his career, Merab was on point from start to finish. He was constantly moving, limiting O'Malley's ability to get comfortable on the feet. Dvalishvili attempted 15 takedowns, landing six. That may seem like a lot of attempts, but remember this is a guy that attempted 49 (!!!) takedowns in a five-round win over Petr Yan in March of 2023. Merab continuously pushed forward, making smart decisions regarding when he was going to shoot. The half-dozen successful tries led to 10:03 worth of control time. More importantly, it helped drain O'Malley's gas tank and limited his ability to string together combinations on the feet. It was a perfectly-executed game plan by Merab and his two coaches, John Wood and Ray Longo. Dvalishvili's first title defense sure appears as if it will come against an opponent in Umar Nurmagomedov, who as a fellow grappler himself, will present a completely different set of challenges than a stand-up specialist like O'Malley.
This fight was not as close as the scorecards would lead you to believe. Competing for UFC gold for the first time in his career, Merab was on point from start to finish. He was constantly moving, limiting O'Malley's ability to get comfortable on the feet. Dvalishvili attempted 15 takedowns, landing six. That may seem like a lot of attempts, but remember this is a guy that attempted 49 (!!!) takedowns in a five-round win over Petr Yan in March of 2023. Merab continuously pushed forward, making smart decisions regarding when he was going to shoot. The half-dozen successful tries led to 10:03 worth of control time. More importantly, it helped drain O'Malley's gas tank and limited his ability to string together combinations on the feet. It was a perfectly-executed game plan by Merab and his two coaches, John Wood and Ray Longo. Dvalishvili's first title defense sure appears as if it will come against an opponent in Umar Nurmagomedov, who as a fellow grappler himself, will present a completely different set of challenges than a stand-up specialist like O'Malley.
Will challenge O'Malley
Dvalishvili will face Sean O'Malley in a bantamweight fight in UFC Noche at Sphere in Las Vegas on Sep. 14.
ANALYSIS
Dvalishvili defeated Henry Cejudo via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) at UFC 298 on Saturday in Anaheim in his most recent fight in February this year, and he'll get the title shot he was desperately looking for. Not only that, but he'll face O'Malley in a fight that has been slated to happen for quite some time. One of the most in-form fighters in the world regardless of weight -- and even discipline -- after winning 10 fights in a row, Merab will aim to take the most significant step in his career as he guns for the Bantamweight Championship.
Dvalishvili defeated Henry Cejudo via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) at UFC 298 on Saturday in Anaheim in his most recent fight in February this year, and he'll get the title shot he was desperately looking for. Not only that, but he'll face O'Malley in a fight that has been slated to happen for quite some time. One of the most in-form fighters in the world regardless of weight -- and even discipline -- after winning 10 fights in a row, Merab will aim to take the most significant step in his career as he guns for the Bantamweight Championship.