Merab Dvalishvili: A Champion with an Unusual Routine
The UFC bantamweight champion, Merab Dvalishvili, surprised everyone by doing five full rounds of sparring in the gym, just hours before his title defense against Cory Sandhagen at UFC 320. This unusual practice, revealed by his teammate Khalil Rountree Jr. on the Jaxxon podcast, has generated great interest in the world of mixed martial arts. Dvalishvili, known for his impressive endurance, defeated Sandhagen by decision, once again demonstrating his dominance in the octagon. This victory, in which he fought his second five-round fight of the day, highlights the champion’s exceptional physical and mental preparation.Syndicate MMA head coach John Wood confirmed this information, adding that this practice is integral to Dvalishvili’s preparation. Wood explained that, although the sparring rounds are at a more moderate pace, they represent a technical and demanding effort. In addition to the five rounds in the gym, Dvalishvili does an additional warm-up in the combat area. The Georgian fighter usually completes between three and five more rounds with his teammate and former bantamweight champion, Aljamain Sterling, just before entering the octagon. Wood described this ritual as “interesting”, highlighting the intensity of the training before the fight. Dvalishvili, famous for his endurance, achieved 20 takedowns in his fight against Sandhagen, raising his career total to 117, the most in UFC history. The champion has already requested the UFC to schedule his next title defense for December.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
