By Merab Dvalishvili is most known for his nonstop cardio and vivid smile inside the octagon.
While other fighters might say that the moments before a fight are a nerve-wracking experience, it’s a peaceful time for the Georgian-born UFC fighter.
“I love fighting, and (that’s where) I feel (the) most relaxing, free, comfortable,” Dvalishvili told CNN Sport. “I feel like I’m in my home, relaxing, watching a beautiful view.”
In September last year, Dvalishvili won the UFC bantamweight title belt by defeating Sean ‘Suga’ O’Malley via a dominant unanimous decision performance.
He was superior throughout the majority of their bout in Las Vegas, but in the fifth round, O’Malley landed a body kick that appeared to bother Dvalishvili.
Speaking to CNN after successfully defending his belt against Umar Nurmagomedov in January though, Dvalishvili shrugged off any physical discomfort he felt against O’Malley in his journey to become champion.
“No trouble. I felt it, and in my head I was like: ‘Oh f**k. Two minutes ago, I was holding him down and I let him go. I tried striking with him, but now he got me with a f**king body shot. I’m so stupid. Why did I let him get up?’”
In the end, however, the Georgian’s hand was raised. He became the second fighter from his nation to win the ultimate UFC prize.
“I just wanted to win the belt one time,” the 34-year-old explained. “This is historical now that I’m a champion.”
Dvalishvili was introduced to the fighting scene at a young age. “Fighting is in my DNA,” he said. “I’m from Georgia, and Georgian people are warriors.”
In 2012, he made the long journey to the United States to further a nascent yet promising MMA career, having gone undefeated in nine fights in his home country.
But after arriving in New York unable to speak any English, Dvalishvili quickly realized that any journey to the top of the UFC wouldn’t be easy.
“When I came to the US, I got humbled,” Dvalishvili recalls. “I wasn’t even able to find (an) MMA gym. I wanted to fight in MMA, and I couldn’t find MMA fights.”
Dvalishvili started training in boxing and kickboxing in the meantime, and in 2013, he linked up with his current MMA team, Serra-Longo. But his trip to the top didn’t start out successfully.
He lost his first professional fight before bouncing back with a victory against Dennis Dombrow. However, a defeat in his third bout led him to question his future in the sport, despite being at such an early stage.
“I thought if (Serra-Longo) give me fights in a small organization, and I lose, how am I going to even make (it to the) UFC?”
Dvalishvili wasn’t sure of his place in the MMA world, but he was still training as hard as he could while also balancing it with his job in construction.
Amid all the uncertainty, he tells CNN he considered throwing in the towel on his MMA career.
“I was thinking of taking a break from fighting,” Dvalishvili said. “Just live like normal people live. Work construction, come home, watch TV, (on) weekends go to restaurants, go to clubs, hang out with girls, find my future wife, get married, and maybe raise the kids after.”
In an attempt to recalibrate and find his true calling, Dvalishvili did take a break from the sport where he tried to live a “normal” life. But all it did was show him what he was missing.
“(The) next couple of months, I tried to come home from work, watch TV, but that was bullsh*t,” Dvalishvili said. “I was not happy. I was trying to go to restaurants, clubs. It was fun, but not what I wanted.
“I realized in that moment, I don’t care if I lose (a) fight. I love this, and I just want to do my best, and I just want to give (my) all.”
That epiphany was a future-altering moment for Dvalishvili, but it didn’t make his journey any easier.
He continued to balance training with working in construction while he strived to find his footing; he says he was spending more money on training than he was making fighting.
After an almost two-year hiatus from fighting, Dvalishvili returned to the octagon with six straight wins to put him on the radar of the UFC. He finally earned his contract to the big league thanks to a first-round, spinning back kick knock out against the previously-undefeated Raufeon Stots.
“That was my life-changing moment because I was so tired of working construction,” Dvalishvili remembers of the powerful KO. “I wanted to make changes. That was my moment, and I knew I had to fight hard, and I was so focused.”
Since then, Dvalishvili has developed into a true UFC star. After losing his first two bouts in the promotion, he has since won 12 straight fights, defeating many household names along the way.
His recent run of wins includes a series of former and current world champions which include José Aldo, Petr Yan, Henry Cejudo and Sean O’Malley.
His victory over O’Malley earned him the bantamweight world title before he successfully defended it against Dagestani fighter Umar Nurmagomedov – the cousin of former UFC great Khabib Nurmagomedov – in a unanimous decision in January.
For the rest of 2025, Dvalishvili says he wants to stay active and fight four times in the year. Who he will face next, though, is unknown.
“I will be back to Vegas ready to work,” Dvalishvili said. “(I’ll be) staying disciplined, stay sharp, and I’ll be awaiting who UFC says is next.”
