Merab Dvalishvili News
VIDEO | Merab Dvalishvili confronts Petr Yan in hotel lobby just days before UFC Las Vegas main event: "Let's talk now"
Cole Shelton - March 9, 2023
Merab Dvalishvili and Petr Yan went face-to-face just days before their UFC Las Vegas main event. Dvalishvili and Yan are set to headline the card from The Theater at Virgin Hotel in Las Vegas in a crucial fight for the bantamweight division. The winner could be a win away from a title shot, and in the lead-up, Dvalishvili has said this fight is personal.
Pro fighters make their picks for Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili
Cole Shelton - March 9, 2023
In the main event of UFC Las Vegas, Petr Yan is looking to snap his two-fight losing skid as he takes on Merab Dvalishvili. Heading into the fight, Yan is a -290 favorite while the Georgian is a +215 underdog on FanDuel. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions for the scrap. The pros slightly lean towards Yan getting it done, and possibly by stoppage.
Petr Yan believes Merab Dvalishvili's style poses little danger in bantamweight main event: "I hold all the keys to victory"
Josh Evanoff - March 9, 2023
Former UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan doesn’t believe he’s in much danger this Saturday. ‘No Mercy’ has been out of the octagon since his clash with Sean O’Malley last October. At UFC 280, the bantamweights put on a show for 15 minutes, but many felt the Russian did much of the better work. Nonetheless, Yan lost his second straight bout by split decision.
Merab Dvalishvili discusses previous run-in with Petr Yan in Abu Dhabi: "He should be more humble"
Josh Evanoff - March 7, 2023
UFC bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili seemingly has bad blood with Petr Yan. ‘The Machine’ has been out of the octagon since his clash with Jose Aldo last August at UFC 278. Heading into the contest, the Brazilian was hoping to earn one final title shot, but those plans were blown up. Dvalishvili wound up winning by unanimous decision, the biggest victory of his career to date.
Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili set to headline UFC Fight Night event on March 11
Harry Kettle - January 18, 2023
Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili are set to meet in the main event of a UFC Fight Night on March 11, Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. The bantamweight division is as stacked as it has ever been. From the top 15 to the rising prospects, there’s a whole lot to like at 135 pounds. In terms of the elite, however, there are a few contenders that stand out above the rest.
Brendan Schaub believes UFC made mistake by booking Jose Aldo's final fight against Merab Dvalishvili: "That was the finale and you tossed him in there"
Josh Evanoff - September 20, 2022
Brendan Schaub believes the UFC could’ve better handled Jose Aldo’s retirement. ‘The King of Rio’ called it quits earlier this week, after an incredible career. The Brazilian captured titles in the WEC and UFC and is a multiple-time featherweight champion. Since 2019, Aldo has been competing in the bantamweight division.
Merab Dvalishvili responds to fans critical of his win over Jose Aldo at UFC 278: “It’s his job to move and do something”
Cole Shelton - August 25, 2022
Merab Dvalishvili thinks Jose Aldo is also to blame for their UFC 278 fight not being fan-friendly. Dvalishvili won a lackluster decision over Aldo in Salt Lake City, Utah in a fight that was primarily Dvalishvili pushing Aldo up against the Octagon. It was a disappointing fight that even Dana White ripped Dvalishvili for his performance.
Merab Dvalishvili reveals Jose Aldo told him he was retiring after UFC 278: "He said, ‘That means this is my last fight"
Josh Evanoff - August 22, 2022
Merab Dvalishvili has revealed that former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo might be done. The two bantamweights faced off last Saturday night at UFC 278 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The bout was a pivotal matchup in the 135-pound division, as both men were in title contention.
Dana White reacts to Merab Dvalishvili’s unanimous decision win over Jose Aldo at UFC 278: “I don’t think Merab did himself a lot of favors tonight”
Fernando Quiles Jr. - August 21, 2022
UFC President Dana White is not impressed by Merab Dvalishvili following UFC 278. Merab had the biggest fight of his pro MMA career thus far on August 20. He went one-on-one with future UFC Hall of Famer Jose Aldo. Dvalishvili was the number six-ranked UFC bantamweight, while Aldo held the number three spot.
Pros react after Merab Dvalishvili defeats Jose Aldo at UFC 278
Chris Taylor - August 20, 2022
Tonight’s UFC 278 main card lineup featured a highly anticipated men’s bantamweight contest between Jose Aldo and Merab Dvalishvili. Aldo (31-8 MMA) had entered the bout sporting a three-fight winning streak, this after scoring decision victories over Marlon Vera, Pedro Munhoz and Rob Font. The MMA legend had gone 3-2 overall since making the drop to the promotions bantamweight division in 2019.
UFC 278 Results: Merab Dvalishvili defeats Jose Aldo (Highlights)
Chris Taylor - August 20, 2022
Tonight’s UFC 278 main card lineup features a highly anticipated men’s bantamweight contest between Jose Aldo and Merab Dvalishvili. Aldo (31-7 MMA) will enter the bout sporting a three-fight winning streak, this after scoring decision victories over Marlon Vera, Pedro Munhoz and Rob Font. The MMA legend has gone 3-2 since making the drop to the promotions bantamweight division.
Jose Aldo vs. Merab Dvalishvili in the works for UFC 278 on August 20th
Josh Evanoff - June 14, 2022
UFC bantamweight title contenders Jose Aldo and Merab Dvalishvili could have a date in the near future. The UFC’s 135-pound division is a weight class stacked with contenders. The champion Aljamain Sterling is fresh off a victory over Petr Yan in April at UFC 273. Following the victory, ‘Funk Master’ was rumored for a matchup with either T.J. Dillashaw or Jose Aldo.
Marlon Vera calls for fight against Merab Dvalishvili after KOing Frankie Edgar at UFC 268
Adam D Martin - November 9, 2021
UFC bantamweight contender Marlon Vera called for a fight against divisional rival Merab Dvalishvili after KOing Frankie Edgar at UFC 268. Vera finished Edgar with a devastating front kick in the third round of their main card bantamweight bout at this past weekend’s UFC 268 pay-per-view event. It was an absolutely phenomenal victory by Vera, who will now be ranked in the top-10 after taking out Edgar in such an impressive fashion. Now that he’s in the top-10 of the UFC bantamweight division, Vera can now start calling out the top guys in the division. By beating Edgar, Vera now has the ability to call out some big names, and he has one in mind in particular in Dvalishvili, who Vera believes he has the style to potentially defeat.
Merab Dvalishvili reacts after insane TKO comeback win over Marlon Moraes at UFC 266
Adam D Martin - September 27, 2021
Top-ranked UFC bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili reacted after his insane TKO comeback win over Marlon Moraes at UFC 266. Dvalishvili took on Moraes on the undercard of this past Saturday night’s UFC 266 pay-per-view card, and the two bantamweights put on quite the show for the fans. The first round saw Moraes nearly knock Dvalishvili out on several occasions, but somehow the Georgian was able to survive the onslaught and make it to the end of the first round. In the second round, Moraes was completely tired out by that point and Dvalishvili was able to pour on the offense using his trademark cardio as a weapon and earn the second-round TKO. It was the seventh win of Dvalishvili’s UFC career and it improved his Octagon record to 7-2.
UFC 266 Results: Merab Dvalishvili TKO's Marlon Moraes (Video)
Chris Taylor - September 25, 2021
A key men’s bantamweight bout featuring Marlon Moraes taking on Merab Dvalishvili serves as the featured prelim of tonight’s UFC 266 event. Moraes (23-8-1 MMA), a former UFC title challenger, will enter tonight’s contest looking to rebound, this after dropping his past two fights. ‘Magic’ has gone just 1-3 over his past four Octagon appearances, with his lone win in that time coming over Jose Aldo by split decision.
Merab Dvalishvili explains why he would never fight Aljamain Sterling
Adam D Martin - September 24, 2021
One of the rising contenders at 135lbs, Merab Dvalishvili explained why he would never fight UFC bantamweight champion, Aljamain Sterling. Dvalishvili is currently riding a six-fight win streak into his bantamweight bout against Marlon Moraes at this Saturday’s UFC 266 event. Should Dvalishvili win the fight, he would move closer to the top-five of the 135lbs weight class, and therefore, closer to the man at the top, his teammate at Serra-Longo Fight Team, Sterling. The team right now has two of the best bantamweights in the world in the same stable, which could lead to a tricky situation if both men keep winning. But as far as Dvalishvili is concerned, he will not be fighting Sterling, regardless of whether or not there is a belt on the line between them.
Marlon Moraes vs. Merab Dvalishvili added to UFC 266
Adam D Martin - June 16, 2021
An exciting matchup between bantamweight contenders Marlon Moraes and Merab Dvalishvili has been added to the UFC 266 pay-per-view card. Ray Longo, Dvalishvili’s coach, broke the news on the Anik & Florian podcast that Moraes vs. Dvalishvili is going to take place this fall. The bout has been targeted to take place at UFC 266, which is set for September 25 at a location that has yet to be determined. The fight between Moraes vs. Dvalishvili features two of the top-10 ranked UFC bantamweights.
Merab Dvalishvili releases statement following win over Cody Stamann at UFC Vegas 25
Adam Martin - May 2, 2021
UFC bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili released a statement following his unanimous decision win over Cody Stamann at UFC Vegas 25. Dvalishvili won his sixth straight fight as he improved to 6-2 overall in the UFC with the dominant win over Stamann on the main card of UFC Vegas 25. Dvalishvili utilized his powerful takedowns as he always does, but he also showed improved striking in this matchup as Stamann was at times able to match him in the wrestling department. In the end, Dvalishvili walked away with the win and he emerged as a real player at 135lbs.