Merab Dvalishvili actually is a Machine.
On Saturday, Dvalishvili efficiently defended his UFC bantamweight title for the second time, submitting Sean O’Malley of their rematch in the primary occasion of UFC 316. The win was the thirteenth consecutive victory for Dvalishvili, and arguably essentially the most dominant efficiency of the champion’s profession, one thing Dvalishvili places all the way down to his rising confidence as champion.
“First time, I stated, this one I used to be preventing for the belt,” Dvalishvili stated on the UFC 316 post-fight press convention. “I needed to win this. I do know I used to be profitable, and I don’t danger it an excessive amount of. I needed to only seize it one time. I simply needed to win one time. Now, I danger — not danger, however I play extra open. I needed to win the primary time, particularly towards a harmful opponent like Sean O’Malley.”
Dvalishvili’s extra aggressive type actually paid dividends as “The Machine” recorded simply his second end within the UFC – and his first submission. Maybe extra impressively, it was additionally a particular submission, a modified north-south choke with a ninja choke grip, which Dvalishvili wish to have named after himself.
“I don’t know identify, sorry. However I’m hitting this choke within the health club, often in jiu-jitsu,” Dvalishvili stated. “ [Dvalishvili’s coach] John Wooden was at all times begging me to, within the sparring, hit extra submissions. I by no means complained as soon as, as a result of in sparring we now have massive, puffy gloves, we now have wraps, it’s very arduous to assault … I don’t even attempt in sparring, however in jiu-jitsu I do that. I used to be doing it in coaching, so now I did [it]. … Hey, let’s name it ‘Machine Choke!’”
At 13 consecutive wins, Dvalishvili is getting into rarified air in UFC historical past, with some followers already declaring him the bantamweight GOAT. And whereas he’s already had two fights in 2025, Dvalishvili hopes to maintain constructing that resume sooner relatively than later, and he’s acquired his eyes on his subsequent goal already: Cory Sandhagen.
“Prime of my head, he’s the perfect, deserving man on this division proper now,” Dvalishvili stated. “Particularly he was preventing at all times the perfect of the perfect. He’s an organization man, a really respectful man, arduous employee man, tremendous proficient, tremendous good, and I believe he deserves essentially the most. And if the UFC desires, I’m completely satisfied. I wish to be busy.”
