Dvalishvili: Extreme Sparring Before the Fight, Reveals Coach

Merab Dvalishvili: A Champion with Unusual Preparation

The UFC bantamweight champion, Merab Dvalishvili, surprised everyone by completing five full rounds of sparring in the gym, just hours before his title defense against Cory Sandhagen at UFC 320. Dvalishvili (21-4) defeated Sandhagen (18-5) by decision, in what was apparently his second five-round fight of the day. Khalil Rountree Jr., Dvalishvili’s teammate at Syndicate MMA, revealed this unusual fact on the Jaxxon podcast.

This isn’t new. It’s funny that Khalil is the one revealing it.

John Wood, head coach of Syndicate MMA

John Wood, head coach of Syndicate MMA, confirmed this information. According to Wood, Dvalishvili has maintained this practice since he started training him in 2020. The coach even revealed that the champion sometimes wants to extend the sparring to six rounds. Wood explained that these five rounds are performed at a pace of “around 70 percent.” Despite not being a common practice in the sport, the coach described Dvalishvili as “wild” and added that, at first, this routine made him nervous on fight day. Dvalishvili’s preparation doesn’t end there. Before entering the octagon, the 34-year-old Georgian fighter does three to five additional rounds with his teammate and former bantamweight champion, Aljamain Sterling.

The craziest thing is the five rounds right before the fight.

John Wood

Wood added that Sterling uses head protection and that he often feels sorry for him, as Dvalishvili dominates him in these matchups. Dvalishvili is known for his incredible cardiovascular endurance. In the fight against Sandhagen, he achieved 20 takedowns, raising his total in the UFC to 117, the most in the history of the competition. The champion has already requested that the UFC schedule his next title defense for December.