Tag: Merab Dvalishvili

Henry Cejudo Suggests Alternative To ‘Stupid’ Sean O’Malley Rematch For Merab Dvalishvili

Ahead of his return to action this weekend, former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo has assessed the landscape of the bantamweight title picture. Merab Dvalishvili has ruled over the division since his dominant victory over Sean O’Malley at the Sphere last September. He’s defended the crown once, getting the better of undefeated challenger Umar Nurmagomedov […]

Ahead of his return to action this weekend, former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo has assessed the landscape of the bantamweight title picture.

Merab Dvalishvili has ruled over the division since his dominant victory over Sean O’Malley at the Sphere last September. He’s defended the crown once, getting the better of undefeated challenger Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 in January.

The Georgian champ has outlined his intention to remain active and put the gold on the line again in the first half of 2025. And when it comes to the opposition, one ex-foe is expecting to have the chance for redemption.

After being sidelined with a torn labrum following his title defeat in 2024, O’Malley was quick to insist that he’ll return straight into a rematch with Dvalishvili this year.

During a recent interview with Home of Fight, Cejudo rejected the notion that “Sugar” deserves a second dance with “The Machine,” instead pitching Cory Sandhagen as a better challenger.

“I think that’s stupid,” Cejudo said of Dvalishvili potentially running it back with O’Malley. “It’s not like O’Malley’s a pay-per-view king. Like, his fights don’t do sh*t, man. I think the person that they should give him (is) Sandhagen.

“Sandhagen makes a lot of sense. Sandhagen could potentially beat him,” Cejudo continued. “I mean, I still think Merab beats him, but he has the tools to really shut out Merab’s freaking lights. That’s the cool thing about it.”

“The Sandman” is coming off a defeat to Nurmagomedov in the main event of UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi last August.

Cejudo, meanwhile, is still seeking the first win of his comeback, having lost back-to-back outings opposite Aljamain Sterling and Dvalishvili since returning from retirement.

“Triple C” will hope the long-awaited triumph finally arrives next weekend, when he headlines the UFC’s return to Seattle against Song Yadong.

Merab Dvalishvili Slams Controversial Stoppage At UFC 312: ‘Hate This!’

UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili was not pleased to see one fighter’s outing at Saturday’s pay-per-view brought to a controversial end after just 19 seconds. While the promotion’s second numbered event of the year — UFC 312 at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia — wasn’t particularly thrilling or memorable, it certainly didn’t start […]

UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili was not pleased to see one fighter’s outing at Saturday’s pay-per-view brought to a controversial end after just 19 seconds.

While the promotion’s second numbered event of the year — UFC 312 at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia — wasn’t particularly thrilling or memorable, it certainly didn’t start slow.

Kicking off proceedings was a debuting local favorite in Quillan Salkilld, who needed just one strike to finish Anshul Jubli and announce his arrival on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage.

The Indian was badly dropped by a clean right hand but was quick to grab a leg as Salkilld jumped on him. The referee, however, immediately decided he had seen enough and called off the bout.

Jubli furiously protested the result, and his claim of an early stoppage has been backed by plenty in the community. That includes one prominent peer in Dvalishvili, who slammed the referee’s intervention in a post on X.

“Work so hard in training camp and gets an early stoppage … hate this ! #UFC312“

Dvalishvili frequently calls out stoppages he perceives to be early, having seen firsthand the effects of controversial finishes back in 2023 when teammate Aljamain Sterling was unseated from the bantamweight throne by Sean O’Malley.

Merab Dvalishvili Slams Controversial Stoppage At UFC 312: ‘Hate This!’

UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili was not pleased to see one fighter’s outing at Saturday’s pay-per-view brought to a controversial end after just 19 seconds. While the promotion’s second numbered event of the year — UFC 312 at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia — wasn’t particularly thrilling or memorable, it certainly didn’t start […]

UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili was not pleased to see one fighter’s outing at Saturday’s pay-per-view brought to a controversial end after just 19 seconds.

While the promotion’s second numbered event of the year — UFC 312 at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia — wasn’t particularly thrilling or memorable, it certainly didn’t start slow.

Kicking off proceedings was a debuting local favorite in Quillan Salkilld, who needed just one strike to finish Anshul Jubli and announce his arrival on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage.

The Indian was badly dropped by a clean right hand but was quick to grab a leg as Salkilld jumped on him. The referee, however, immediately decided he had seen enough and called off the bout.

Jubli furiously protested the result, and his claim of an early stoppage has been backed by plenty in the community. That includes one prominent peer in Dvalishvili, who slammed the referee’s intervention in a post on X.

“Work so hard in training camp and gets an early stoppage … hate this ! #UFC312“

Dvalishvili frequently calls out stoppages he perceives to be early, having seen firsthand the effects of controversial finishes back in 2023 when teammate Aljamain Sterling was unseated from the bantamweight throne by Sean O’Malley.

UFC in Georgia? Dana White Says It ‘Really Makes Sense’

UFC in Georgia? Dana White Says It ‘Really Makes Sense’Is the UFC headed to Georgia?! After spending a significant portion of the last few years running events inside…

UFC in Georgia? Dana White Says It ‘Really Makes Sense’

Is the UFC headed to Georgia?!

After spending a significant portion of the last few years running events inside the cozy confines of The APEX in Las Vegas, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is ready to stretch its legs and hit the road.

Following Thursday’s Power Slap 11 card in Riyadh, White was asked about potentially bringing the UFC to Georgia in 2025. While White couldn’t offer any specifics, he essentially confirmed that yes, an event in the transcontinental country — not the state — is in the works.

“I mean, I met some guys the other day who were pushing hard for me to bring a fight to Georgia,” White said at the post-fight press conference. “And could it make any more sense than to go to Georgia right now? No, it really does. So, the answer to your question is yes.”

Located at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia, Georgia has produced some of the UFC’s biggest stars, including reigning bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili and featherweight king Ilia Topuria, though ‘El Matador’ currently calls Spain home.

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Other noteworthy names out of Georgia include 15-win veteran Giga Chikadze and three-time Performance of the Night winner Roman Dolidze.

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‘The Machine’ takes some credit for MMA’s explosion in Georgia

MMA has exploded in the country and recent years courtesy of rising stars like Dvalishvili who has captured the attention of fight fans with his never-ending gas tank inside the Octagon and his entertaining presence on social media.

“I know some fighters that started MMA because of me, and now they are professional fighters and some organizations’ champions. This means I’m old,” Dvalishvili said with a laugh while speaking with the UFC. “But I’m proud of this because I was part of the reason MMA is popular in my country, in my hometown. MMA in Georgia is only going up, and it will only get better and better.

Dvalishvili also marveled at how quickly MMA has become a fan-favorite sport in his home country.

“They know every fighter in the UFC, who fights who, when they fight, they really know MMA. It’s very, very good. It’s crazy,” he added.

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EPO or Genetics? Georges St-Pierre’s Trainer Weighs In on Merab Dvalishvili’s Legendary Cardio

EPO or Genetics? Georges St-Pierre's Trainer Weighs In on Merab Dvalishvili's Legendary CardioEPO or Genetics? That’s the question surrounding Merab Dvalishvili’s bottomless gas tank inside the Octagon. UFC 311 saw ‘The…

EPO or Genetics? Georges St-Pierre's Trainer Weighs In on Merab Dvalishvili's Legendary Cardio

EPO or Genetics? That’s the question surrounding Merab Dvalishvili’s bottomless gas tank inside the Octagon.

UFC 311 saw ‘The Machine’ score his first successful defense of the bantamweight title, outworking previously undefeated Dagestani star Umar Nurmagomedov in the evening’s co-main event. Nurmagomedov went into the bout as a greater-than-2-to-1 favorite to come out on top and end Dvalishvili’s reign early. However, the Georgian has other plans.

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After surrendering the first two rounds on two of the three judges’ scorecards, Dvalishvili began to wear on his opponent, using his legendary cardio to slowly take over the bout and extend his own unbeaten streak to 12.

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Firas Zahabi thinks Merab Dvalishvili has been graced with great genetics

Discussing Dvalishvili’s mind-blowing cardio, TriStar Gym proprietor and former GSP coach Firas Zahabi believes that ‘The Machine’ has been graced with good genetics and was quick to disregard the notion that Dvalishvili could be utilizing EPO or another type of performance-enhancing substance.

“His conditioning is just unreal, you know. I’ve seen guys get caught on drugs, and EPO, who didn’t have cardio like him. I’m not saying he’s on EPO, I’m just saying that even if you are on EPO, you just don’t have that level of cardio,” Zahabi said on the TriStar Gym YouTube channel.

“I’m not saying any of these guys are doping. I don’t think Mayweather dopes at all, or that Merab is doping. I’m just saying, like, it’s genetic, okay? Because you can go and do their workout, you can go and try to copy them—it’s useless. It’s totally useless. Okay, it’s got to be genetic. It’s got to be genetic. It can’t be, ‘Oh, this guy’s doing a secret formula.’ That would blow my mind. That would really blow my mind. That would really shock me. No, it’s genetic.”

The win over Nurmagomedov moved Dvalishvili’s record to 12-2 under the UFC banner, 19-4 overall.

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‘TJ KOs Him For Real’ – Fans Debate Merab Dvalishvili vs. ‘Prime’ TJ Dillashaw Result

Having cemented his grip on the UFC bantamweight title, talk of where Merab Dvalishvili fits among the division’s all-time greats is picking up. Dvalishvili recorded his first defense a few weeks back, following his crowning at the expense of Sean O’Malley four months prior with a successful halting of Umar Nurmagomedov’s championship ambitions. While the […]

Having cemented his grip on the UFC bantamweight title, talk of where Merab Dvalishvili fits among the division’s all-time greats is picking up.

Dvalishvili recorded his first defense a few weeks back, following his crowning at the expense of Sean O’Malley four months prior with a successful halting of Umar Nurmagomedov’s championship ambitions.

While the Georgian made the walk at UFC 311 as the underdog, he overcame a strong start from his undefeated challenger, utilizing his renowned cardio and pace to secure the decision victory in Los Angeles.

The result extended Dvalishvili’s reign and active win streak to 12, which is enough for some to now award “The Machine” with GOAT status at 135 pounds.

That’s sparked plenty of debate over how the current champ would stack up against some of the division’s past elites, including former two-time titleholder TJ Dillashaw.

A recent post on X by @owen_swd posed the question of who would win between Dvalishvili and the retired American in their respective primes.

Both men had their fair share of backers in the comments section. One common theme involved the controversy surrounding Dillashaw’s use of performance-enhancing drugs.