Merab Dvalishvili has been at the forefront of the Georgian wave of MMA, and having ascended to the top of the mountain with his bantamweight title win over Sean O’Malley at UFC 306, he’s now the biggest star the European nation has to offer.
That was on full display this week, as Dvalishvili (18-4) received a hero’s welcome in his native Georgia, including a parade, and massive crowds who had gathered as he broght the UFC bantamweight championship home.
The UFC shared snippets of Dvalishvili’s homecoming on social media on Monday, and it’s nothing if not impressive.
'The Machine' is a superstar! 💫@MerabDvalishvil receiving a hero's welcome in Georgia 🇬🇪 pic.twitter.com/gRHj6HR6sW
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) September 30, 2024
“The Machine,” who trains alongside good friend Aljamain Sterling at Serra-Longo MMA, sits on an impressive 11-fight win streak that includes names like former champs Petr Yan, Henry Cejudo, and Jose Aldo. Dvalishvili almost certainly would have fought for a UFC title sooner, had he not steadfastly refused to fight Sterling, who reigned as the UFC bantamweight champion from 2021 to 2023, eventually losing the title to O’Malley.
After some well-deserved celebration, Merab Dvalishvili will likely be quickly back to work. He’s already offered to rematch Sean O’Malley at UFC 309 in November, though that fight is not likely to happen with O’Malley reportedly injured. Up next for the newly crowned bantamweight champ is expected to be the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov, a cousin of lightweight great and UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov.
