Merab Dvalishvili

Merab Dvalishvili
Born (1991-01-10) January 10, 1991 (age 33)
Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, Soviet Union
Other namesThe Machine
NationalityGeorgian
American[1]
Height5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Weight135 lb (61 kg; 9 st 9 lb)
DivisionBantamweight
Reach68[2] in (173 cm)
Fighting out ofLong Island, New York, U.S.[3]
TeamSerra-Longo Fight Team (2013–present)[4]
TrainerRay Longo and Matt Serra[3]
RankBlack belt in judo[5]
Purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[6]
Years active2014–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total22
Wins18
By knockout3
By submission1
By decision14
Losses4
By submission1
By decision3
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
Medal record
Representing  Georgia
Combat Sambo
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2019 Cheongju 68 kg

Merab Dvalishvili (Georgian: მერაბ დვალიშვილი, Georgian pronunciation: [ˈmerab ˈdʷaliʃvili]; born January 10, 1991) is a Georgian professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the current UFC Bantamweight Champion. Dvalishvili is the second Georgian to win a UFC title after Ilia Topuria.[7] As of September 17, 2024, he is #7 in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings.[8]

  1. ^ "Meet Merab: From juggling move to U.S. and construction job, O'Malley's next opponent owns unique backstory". MontanaSports.com (MTSPX). September 12, 2024. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Stats | UFC". ufcstats.com. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Merab Dvalishvili brings his country's fighting spirit to ROC 58 | Lou Neglia's Ring of Combat | Next Generation of Mixed Martial Arts!". Merab Dvalishvili brings his country’s fighting spirit to ROC 58 | Lou Neglia's Ring of Combat | Next Generation of Mixed Martial Arts!. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
  4. ^ Ariel Helwani (June 2, 2022). Merab Reacts to Aljamain Sterling Potentially Giving Up Bantamweight Title For Him - MMA Fighting – via YouTube.
  5. ^ "Merab Dvalishvili | UFC". UFC.com. September 14, 2018. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  6. ^ ""An absolute menace" - "Purple belt" Merab Dvalishvili's video with two mystery women has fans in splits". sportskeeda.com. January 13, 2024. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  7. ^ Mike Bohn (September 15, 2024). "UFC 306 post-event facts: Merab Dvalishvili's streak reaches historic status in title win vs. Sean O'Malley". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
  8. ^ "UFC Rankings, Division Rankings, P4P rankings, UFC Champions | UFC.com". www.ufc.com. Retrieved September 17, 2024.