Merab Dvalishvili had a long journey to becoming the UFC bantamweight champion. He began his MMA career in 2014 but continued to work in construction to support himself even after joining the UFC in 2017. Only in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic put his construction job on hold, could he fully dedicate himself to his UFC career.
Despite facing financial challenges in the early days of his UFC career, Dvalishvili persisted and eventually achieved success. He had to juggle training with the costs of maintaining his immigration status. This year, he obtained U.S. citizenship and moved to Las Vegas to train at Syndicate MMA.
While remaining loyal to his New York City coaches, Dvalishvili appreciates the training opportunities available in Las Vegas. Currently, he is preparing to fight Umar Nurmagomedov, although he feels that Deiveson Figueiredo is a more deserving opponent. Despite some talk from Sean O’Malley about a rematch, Dvalishvili is focused on his upcoming fights and is eager to face any challenges that come his way.
