How Merab Dvalishvili Went From Hated to Loved by the UFC Brass: “They didn’t want me as champion”
Merab Dvalishvili took the long road to becoming a UFC champion.
Once upon a time, ‘The Machine’ was seen as one of the least exciting fighters in the bantamweight division. Today, he’s perhaps the greatest fighter the weight class has ever seen.
On December 6, he’ll look to extend his history-making run when he puts his gold on the line for a fourth time in 2025 against No. 2 ranked contender Petr Yan at UFC 323 in Las Vegas.
During a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Dvalishvili looked back at his long and winding road to the 135-pound throne, recounting how, at one time, the UFC didn’t see him as championship material.
“Initially, UFC didn’t want me as champion, you remember—they made me go through everyone,” Dvalishvili said. “I was winning fights, I had records, people supported me. Now, things changed—I’m champion, and Dana saying I’m the GOAT. Of course, it’s a blessing. The fans support me, and now I feel the love.
It wasn’t always like that; before they made me fight everybody, I was the last choice to fight for the belt. When I beat Petr Yan, I did surgery on my hand, was number one contender, but when Sean O’Malley was champ, they chose ‘Chito’ Vera and made me fight Henry Cejudo instead. That broke my heart a bit, but I took it, I won, and I earned it.”
Dvalishvili will go into his next title defense riding a 14-fight win streak dating back to 2018. That puts him just two wins away from tying Anderson Silva for the longest win streak in UFC history.
