Tag: Merab Dvalishvili

Merab Dvalishvili Reacts To Sterling’s Pay Demands: “He Knows His Price”

Merab Dvalishvili is siding with Aljamain Sterling in his current negotiations with the UFC for higher pay. Speaking with MMA News recently, Dvalishvili offered his thoughts on Sterling’s current demands for higher pay before stepping into the Octagon to defend his title again. Dvalishvili said Sterling is a smart man for knowing his worth and…

Continue Reading Merab Dvalishvili Reacts To Sterling’s Pay Demands: “He Knows His Price” at MMA News.

Merab Dvalishvili is siding with Aljamain Sterling in his current negotiations with the UFC for higher pay.

Speaking with MMA News recently, Dvalishvili offered his thoughts on Sterling’s current demands for higher pay before stepping into the Octagon to defend his title again. Dvalishvili said Sterling is a smart man for knowing his worth and holding firm.

“Yeah, he’s a smart man. He’s doing the right thing. Whatever, it’s a business, and we have to negotiate. I mean, he knows his price. Of course, he’s doing the right thing. This is business. They negotiate, they want best for business, and we want best for our family and our self. That’s it.”

Sterling was initially reported to be set to defend his title against TJ Dillashaw. However, Sterling publicly announced that he hasn’t signed anything to make the fight official yet, and he won’t until he receives a pay bump from the UFC.

The UFC bantamweight champion said he’s climbed up the ranks and played his part well in promoting his last fight with Petr Yan, allowing himself to be the bad guy. Now, he’s looking to get what he’s worth.

As for Dvalishvili, he currently sits at No. 6 in the UFC’s bantamweight rankings. He could very well be on the way to a title opportunity himself, with a seven-fight win streak currently on tap.

Dvalishvili is slated to take on former featherweight king José Aldo at UFC 278 on August 20.

What do you make of Merab Dvalishvili siding with Sterling on his stance for higher pay? Let us know in the comments below!

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Merab Dvalishvili Ponders Flyweight Switch After Win Over José Aldo

Merab Dvalishvili believes that a switch from bantamweight contention to flyweight contention could be possible if he emerges victorious over José Aldo in his next appearance. After a long wait, Dvalishvili finally has his return to the Octagon set. The #6-ranked contender impressed last time out, extending his win streak to seven with a memorable…

Continue Reading Merab Dvalishvili Ponders Flyweight Switch After Win Over José Aldo at MMA News.

Merab Dvalishvili believes that a switch from bantamweight contention to flyweight contention could be possible if he emerges victorious over José Aldo in his next appearance.

After a long wait, Dvalishvili finally has his return to the Octagon set. The #6-ranked contender impressed last time out, extending his win streak to seven with a memorable TKO victory over the now-retired Marlon Moraes at UFC 266 last September.

But after some minor injuries and a dedicated role in teammate Aljamain Sterling’s UFC 273 camp, the Georgian’s rise has been somewhat stalled due to a lengthy layoff. He’ll look to bring his name back to the surface when he squares off with MMA legend Aldo at UFC 278 in August.

Following the announcement of his return, Dvalishvili spoke with MMA News’ own James Lynch on a variety of topics, including Sterling’s reign and public pay demands, the potential bantamweight arrival of Deiveson Figueiredo, and his new six-fight UFC contract.

One notable admission Dvalishvili made was a potential future at flyweight. “The Machine” finds himself in a unique position at 135 pounds owing to the success of friend and teammate Sterling.

While a victory over Aldo, whom many believe has already earned another shot at gold, would likely be enough to make the Georgian deserving of a title opportunity, he’s made it very clear that he won’t be sharing the Octagon with Sterling.

And although “Funk Master” has revealed plans to defend the belt a few times before moving up to featherweight to allow for Dvalishvili’s own success in the division, the Tbilisi native has offered to go the other way.

Dvalishvili told MMA News that should he add the legendary name of Aldo to his résumé on August 20, a jump into the 125-pound shark tank could await him.

“(Sterling) will be champion as long as he wants. I’m just gonna win this fight, chill, and maybe go (down to) 125,” said Dvalishvili. “We’ll see. I have to win this fight first… I think it’s possible (to make flyweight). I’d have to do tests first, maybe UFC PI can help me, and maybe I will do tests. If I make it, why not?”

With the likes of Figueiredo, Brandon Moreno, Kai Kara-France, Alexandre Pantoja, and Askar Askarov occupying the top positions of what is certainly a developing and exciting weight class, the addition of Dvalishvili would only add to the growth of the flyweight division.

And should the Georgian stall Aldo’s late surge and make the drop, perhaps we’ll be seeing teammates Sterling and Dvalishvili wielding UFC gold together.

Catch our full interview with UFC bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili below:

How do you think Merab Dvalishvili would fare at flyweight?

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Report: UFC Targeting Aldo vs. Dvalishvili For UFC 278 In August

A battle of bantamweight title contenders is being talked about for an upcoming UFC pay-per-view card. Former featherweight champion José Aldo and rising title hopeful Merab Dvalishvili are said to be meeting at UFC 278. The news was first reported by Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting. Although the fight is not yet official, this is…

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A battle of bantamweight title contenders is being talked about for an upcoming UFC pay-per-view card. Former featherweight champion José Aldo and rising title hopeful Merab Dvalishvili are said to be meeting at UFC 278.

The news was first reported by Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting. Although the fight is not yet official, this is the direction the UFC is planning to head. The UFC 278 event is set to be held on August 20 in the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Aldo sat atop the UFC featherweight division for over five years. He was the perennial UFC featherweight champion after carrying the WEC belt for years before that.

When Aldo lost his belt to Conor McGregor in 2015, he entered a slump that included five losses. Now at bantamweight, Aldo has strung together three wins in a row and could be in line for a title shot soon.

Aldo has been calling for a shot at champion Aljamain Sterling recently, but now with talks of this fight with Dvalishvili, it seems that perhaps another man could be getting that title shot. However, a possibility is that the winner of this UFC 278 bout could be the next one in line for Sterling.

Dvalishvili is a good friend and training partner of the champ. He has mentioned not wanting to face Sterling, but with a win over Aldo, he could be directly in title contention.

Sterling has mentioned a move to featherweight in order to make room for his friend if that situation could arise. Dvalishvili is on a seven-fight winning streak, with his most recent win coming over Marlon Moraes back in September of last year.

UFC 278 will be headlined by a welterweight title matchup between Champion Kamaru Usman and challenger Leon Edwards.

Who do you think wins the fight between José Aldo and Merab Dvalishvili?

Continue Reading Report: UFC Targeting Aldo vs. Dvalishvili For UFC 278 In August at MMA News.

Report | UFC ‘Working’ On Jose Aldo vs. Merab Dvalishvili For August 20. UFC 278 Card In Utah

Jose AldoThe UFC are reportedly “working” on potentially booking a high-stakes bantamweight matchup between the streaking contenders, #3 ranked, Jose Aldo, and the #6 ranked, Merab Dvalishvili for UFC 278 on August 20. from the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah – as both look to move closer toward a 135lbs title shot.  Jose Aldo […]

Jose Aldo

The UFC are reportedly “working” on potentially booking a high-stakes bantamweight matchup between the streaking contenders, #3 ranked, Jose Aldo, and the #6 ranked, Merab Dvalishvili for UFC 278 on August 20. from the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah – as both look to move closer toward a 135lbs title shot. 

Jose Aldo x Merab Dvalishvili is currently in the works for UFC 278

As per an initial report from Ariel Helwani this Tuesday night, the promotion are currently in the process of booking a bantamweight matchup between former undisputed featherweight kingpin, Jose Aldo, and Tbilisi native, Merab Dvalishvili for their August pay-per-view showcase; UFC 278.

“UFC is working on Jose Aldo vs. Merab Dvalishvili for UFC 278 on Aug. 20.,” Helwani posted on his official Twitter account. “Not a done deal at the moment, but that’s the current direction.” 

A one-time bantamweight title challenger, following a pair of losses to both Marlon Moraes, and Petr Yan – Aldo has since embarked on an impressive three-fight winning run, turning back the clock with a trio of impressive striking performances.

Headlining UFC Vegas 44 back in December most recently, Aldo, a favorite from Manaus, managed to score a series of knockdowns en route to a unanimous decision win over Rob Font.

The unanimous judging success followed prior one-sided outings against both compatriot, Pedro Munhoz, and fellow South American standout, Marlon Vera.

As for Dvalishvili, seven straight victories has managed to land him the #6 rank in the official bantamweight pile.

Following a pair of losses to kick start his UFC tenure, Dvalishvili, a trainee of Serra-Longo Fight Team, most recently handed common-foe, the now-retired, Marlon Moraes a second round ground strikes loss at UFC 266 in September of last year. 

A former Ring of Combat bantamweight champion, Dvalishvili holds a 15-second spinning back fist knockout win over current interim Bellator bantamweight titleholder, Raufeon Stots. 

Dvalishvili Reminds BWs Of His Presence: “Please, I Want To Fight”

Merab Dvalishvili is feeling like the forgotten man of the UFC bantamweight division, and he wants that to change soon. In the 135-pound weight class right now, there’s talk of Aljamain Sterling vs. TJ Dillashaw, Petr Yan vs. Marlon Vera, and the next steps for former titleholders José Aldo and Dominick Cruz. But what about…

Continue Reading Dvalishvili Reminds BWs Of His Presence: “Please, I Want To Fight” at MMA News.

Merab Dvalishvili is feeling like the forgotten man of the UFC bantamweight division, and he wants that to change soon.

In the 135-pound weight class right now, there’s talk of Aljamain Sterling vs. TJ Dillashaw, Petr Yan vs. Marlon Vera, and the next steps for former titleholders José Aldo and Dominick Cruz.

But what about “The Machine?” The ‘no one wants to fight me’ narrative gets thrown around a lot these days, but in Dvalishvili’s case, it’s hard to argue against it.

In his last appearance, the Georgian extended his win streak to seven and rose to #6 in the rankings with a memorable comeback TKO victory over the now-retired Marlon Moraes at UFC 266.

But despite his form and high position on the bantamweight ladder, Dvalishvili’s next step is still undecided nine months later.

During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, the Tbilisi native addressed his struggle to find an opponent, claiming that he’s down to fight whoever is willing.

“I was talking to my coach yesterday, and he say exactly same thing, ‘No one mentions your name!’ No fighter say my name, even though I’m ranked six, on seven-fight winning streak. No one calls my name. Nobody talk about me, I don’t know,” said Dvalishvili.

“I’m here guys, please, I want to fight. I don’t care, whoever, I’m just — I’m getting old! I want to fight. It’s almost one year, I need — also, I lost the money I made from my last fight, so now I wanna make money! It’s crazy.”

While the failure to find a fight in recent weeks has perhaps been down to the rest of the roster, Dvalishvili’s hopes for a quick turnaround were dashed in January when he suffered an injury.

Then, when he was back to full fitness, teammate Aljamain Sterling was deep into his training camp ahead of his rematch with Petr Yan at UFC 273 in April, which the Georgian directed his full attention to.

But now, with Sterling emerging victorious over the Russian, Dvalishvili has turned his focus back to his own mission, one that he hopes continues this summer, potentially at an event close home…

Dvalishvili Open To Any & Everyone For UFC Long Island

The UFC is set to return to Long Island on July 16 for an event headlined by elite featherweights Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez. Dvalishvili, who resides in the New York region, is hoping to secure his place on what will be a home card for the longtime US resident.

“They know I’m ready for anybody, I don’t care who will be my next opponent… I think I deserve somebody from top 10, but I really don’t care,” said Dvalishvili. “I would love to (fight at UFC Long Island), especially because I’ve never fought in New York. That would be great. In Brooklyn, we have a big Georgian community. They would love to see me fight.

“I would love to fight here. I would love to fight in Long Island. I feel like this is my second home. I’ve lived here 10 years, and my team is here, everybody. I would love to fight here,” concluded Dvalishvili.

With New Yorkers like Sterling, Al Iaquinta, Chris Weidman, and Matt Frevola all absent from the card, UFC Long Island is in desperate need of some locals.

Dana, Merab is your guy!

Who would you like to see Merab Dvalishvili face next?

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Exclusive | Ricky Simon Confident He Can Beat Merab Dvalishvili Again In Possible Rematch: “Definitely, I Think That’d Be A Very Exciting Fight”

Ricky SimonUFC bantamweight Ricky Simon is confident he can break Merab Dvalishvili’s win streak in the UFC. Ricky Simon is scheduled to take on Jack Shore this July 16 at UFC on ABC 3 – Ortega vs. Rodriguez in New York. Simon is coming off an incredible knockout win over the veteran Raphael Assuncao in his […]

Ricky Simon

UFC bantamweight Ricky Simon is confident he can break Merab Dvalishvili’s win streak in the UFC.

Ricky Simon is scheduled to take on Jack Shore this July 16 at UFC on ABC 3 – Ortega vs. Rodriguez in New York. Simon is coming off an incredible knockout win over the veteran Raphael Assuncao in his most recent outing last December.

Shore goes into the bout undefeated in 16 fights with five of them coming under the UFC banner. Simon will be looking to extend his win streak to five and hand Shore the first loss of his professional career. A win over Shore will give Simon the extra push he needs to be matched up with a higher-ranked opponent, someone in the top five or ten.

Ricky Simon is open to Merab rematch after Jack Shore

Merab Dvalishvili, the sixth-ranked contender at 135-lbs, received major backing from the reigning UFC Bantamweight king Aljamain Sterling, who believes ‘The Machine’ to be a future champion and plans to move up to featherweight once Merab is knocking at the door of a title shot.

Merab has racked up a seven-fight win streak that saw him knockout Marlon Moraes in his most recent bout. The Georgian also has the chance to create history by becoming the first UFC champion from the area. As more people pay attention to the rising 31-year-old, Simon sees a familiar foe he already beat four years ago in April 2018.

Simon took on Merab at UFC Fight Night 128 and managed to come out on top with a first of its kind technical submission stoppage that was awarded after the final bell.

In an interview with LowKick MMA, Ricky Simon shared his thoughts on whether a rematch with Merab would get him closer to the title.

Ricky Simon believes it would be a fun match for the fans and is looking to get the opportunity after Shore.

“Definitely, I think that’d be a very exciting fight as well,” said Simon. “He hasn’t lost since I beat him, I believe he’s on a seven-fight win streak, ranked number six in the world, and here I am in the back of the top 15 just having to fight whoever’s but I think I’m better, I beat him, I think I have more talent than a lot of these guys in the division. I think I’m going to go out there, I’m going to beat an undefeated kid, and then Imma get opportunities like a rematch with Merab.”

While he acknowledged Merab’s abilities, Simon said that Merab should want a rematch more than he does since he should be looking to avenge his loss.

“I don’t really care if we have a rematch or not,” he said. “I feel like he would want that more than I should want it but it’s just at the point where I kinda feel like we both always knew that we might end up fighting each other again and it’s a possibility but like you said that bantamweight division is so rich right now, there’s so many fun matchups that can be made. I’m excited to see what’s going to happen, for this fight and after.”

Do you want to see Ricky Simon rematch Merab Dvalishvili at some point in the future?