“Most drug-tested athlete in the sport this year,” UFC Commentator on Why Merab Dvalishvili is a ‘Demon’
Merab Dvalishvili is aiming for UFC history.
After defeating Sean O’Malley to claim the undisputed bantamweight world championship last year, Dvalishvili upped the ante in 2025, successfully defending his title against Umar Nurmagomedov, O’Malley in a rematch, and most recently, Cory Sandhagen.
Next, ‘The Machine’ will put his gold up for grabs for the fourth time in 11 months when he meets Petr Yan in the UFC 323 main event on Saturday, December 6.
With a win streak dating back to 2018, a slew of dominant performances against top-tier talent, and a willingness to defend his belt more than any other modern champion, it’s hard to argue against Dvalishvili being 2025’s MMA Fighter of the Year.
At least, that’s how play-by-play man Jon Anik sees it.
“Merab is just a demon, man,” Anik told MMA Fighting. “He’s trying to become the first UFC champion ever to defend the belt four times in a single year. That’s insane. The most drug-tested athlete in the sport this year—and he’s as mentally strong as they come. He operates as his own sports psychologist. Honestly, it’s one of the greatest years we’ve seen from any fighter — and if he pulls it off, it’s hard to argue it’s not the greatest year in UFC history.”
Merab Dvalishvili could do what no other UFC fighter has ever accomplished
By the time Dvalishvili steps inside the Octagon against Yan, it will have only been eight weeks since his five-round victory over Sandhagen at UFC 320. Should he come out on top, ‘The Machine’ will add another record to his resume, becoming the first fighter in promotional history to successfully defend his belt four times in a calendar year.
Dvalishvili already holds a slew of records inside the Octagon, including the longest win streak in bantamweight history (14) and the most takedowns in UFC history (117).
