Former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad has praised Merab Dvalishvili’s toughness at UFC 323. Dvalishvili’s fourth protection of his 135-pound championship was unsuccessful in 2025, with Petr Yan taking part in spoiler within the rematch.
Yan got here out because the extra correct striker and bloodied the 34-year-old up. The challenger additionally scored his personal takedowns and stopped lots of Dvalishvili’s. In the long run, ‘No Mercy’ secured a unanimous decision victory and with that, turned a two-time bantamweight kingpin.
The commentators at UFC 323 famous that every time the Georgian took a shot to the liver, he was in excruciating ache and reacted. Nevertheless, he didn’t decelerate.
Now, Belal Muhammad has praised ‘The Machine’ for his toughness. ‘Bear in mind the Title’ says most fighters after taking such photographs both collapse or stop. However the Georgian remained standing.
“Actual fighters know whenever you get hit within the liver, 90% of fellows drop to a knee and fold. He was making noises, however he was nonetheless standing. He had no stop in him; he was going all the best way to the tip.”
Try Belal Muhammad’s feedback beneath:
After the loss, the UFC has promised Merab Dvalishvili a title rematch for his subsequent battle as soon as he has recovered and is able to go.
Aljamain Sterling reveals what Merab Dvalishvili’s UFC 323 sport Plan was
After Merab Dvalishvili’s title loss, the latter’s longtime good friend and coaching companion Aljamain Sterling identified the primary motive behind Dvalishvili not performing to his full potential. Sterling thinks that ‘The Machine’ didn’t get sufficient time to heat up earlier than the battle, because the co-main occasion of UFC 323 ended simply a few seconds into spherical 1.
Sterling additionally revealed that the method Petr Yan needed to assault the physique was additionally deliberate for Dvalishvili. ‘Funk Grasp’ stated:
“When Yan began going to his physique, we had been like, Hey, you may go to the physique too. Simply the identical combos we work on within the room that you simply and John Wooden work on, it’s there. And we labored on when he covers up, and also you begin throwing these punches, and he’s beginning to suppose that you simply’ll sit and strike with him… That’s whenever you rip the physique, after which he drops his fingers; you can begin to search for the takedowns.”
Try Aljamain Sterling’s feedback about Merab Dvalishvili’s title loss beneath:
