Dvalishvili: Extreme Sparring Before the Fight, Reveals His Coach

Merab Dvalishvili: A Champion with an Unusual Routine

The UFC bantamweight champion, Merab Dvalishvili, surprised everyone by completing five full rounds of sparring at the gym last weekend in Las Vegas, approximately nine 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 that day.

Merab has been doing this since I started training him [in 2020]. Every fight day, he comes in and spars for five rounds. He wanted to do six, and I had to stop him.

John Wood, head coach of Syndicate MMA

During an appearance on the Jaxxon Podcast, UFC light heavyweight Khalil Rountree Jr., teammate of Dvalishvili at Syndicate MMA, revealed this unusual practice. Syndicate MMA’s head coach, John Wood, confirmed the information. According to Wood, the five rounds are performed at a pace of “approximately 70 percent.” Even so, it is an uncommon practice in the sport and, in Wood’s words, these are “hard and technical rounds.”

The way Merab does it, he’s a savage. He’s a real savage. I used to get nervous doing this on fight day, until I realized it’s part of his process.

John Wood, head coach of Syndicate MMA

In addition to the five rounds in the gym, Dvalishvili also does a good warm-up in the arena before the fight. The 34-year-old Georgian usually does between three and five more rounds with his teammate and former bantamweight champion, Aljamain Sterling, just before entering the octagon. Dvalishvili is known for his relentless cardio. He secured 20 takedowns in the fight against Sandhagen, which raised his career total to 117, the most in UFC history. He has already requested the UFC to schedule his next title defense in December.