{"id":9396,"date":"2025-06-06T09:58:54","date_gmt":"2025-06-06T13:58:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/sin-categoria\/merab-dvalishvili-the-history-of-the-ufc-champion-challenges-and-anecdotes\/"},"modified":"2025-06-06T09:58:54","modified_gmt":"2025-06-06T13:58:54","slug":"merab-dvalishvili-the-history-of-the-ufc-champion-challenges-and-anecdotes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/mma\/merab-dvalishvili-the-history-of-the-ufc-champion-challenges-and-anecdotes\/","title":{"rendered":"Merab Dvalishvili: The History of the UFC Champion, Challenges, and Anecdotes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Merab Dvalishvili: The Champion Who Dives into Chaos<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In February 2021, UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili made one of the most ill-advised decisions of his life during a historic snowstorm on Long Island, New York. His coach, Ray Longo, had ordered the gym to be closed for two days. But, instead of staying home, Dvalishvili went for a run in a nearby park and, upon finishing, decided to take an ice bath in a lake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n

\u201cI don’t like to check the water temperature before entering, because it’s very cold and makes it difficult to get in,\u201d Dvalishvili said. \u201cI knew the water wasn’t deep, so I didn’t think about diving headfirst. I wanted to jump at an angle, like in shallow water. I didn’t realize the water was frozen.\u201d<\/p>\n\nMerab Dvalishvili<\/cite>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The result was immediate: the ice broke with resistance, and Dvalishvili, surprised, stood up, grabbed his head and repeated: “Damn, I’m so stupid.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Post by Merab Dvalishvili<\/a><\/p>\n\n\nDvalishvili went straight to the emergency room, where a wound on his head was closed with staples. Despite this, two years later, a hair transplant restored his original appearance. Plunging into the frozen lake is undoubtedly one of Dvalishvili’s greatest follies, but publishing a video of the incident was one of his smartest decisions. The video went viral, gaining him thousands of followers in a single day.\n\n\n

\u201cI didn’t even remember I had recorded it at first,\u201d Dvalishvili explained. \u201cWhen I was on my way home, I thought, \u2018Oh, shit, I was recording.\u2019 I saw it and laughed at myself. I said, \u2018I’m going to post it. Some will call me stupid, but this is me, this is reality.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This story, like many others surrounding Dvalishvili, is a clear example of his personality: an “adorable idiot”, according to one of his friends. Obsessed with his phone, he usually records everything he does. He acts first, thinks later, and posts on social media third.<\/p>\n\n\nDvalishvili (19-4) will defend his 135-pound title in a rematch against Sean O’Malley (18-2) at UFC 316, this Saturday in New Jersey. Despite having taken the belt from O’Malley in their first fight, O’Malley remains the bigger star. However, Dvalishvili’s humor, honesty, and eccentricity are beginning to win over the MMA community.\n\n\n

To better understand Merab’s personality, stories from his friends, teammates, and family have been gathered, revealing surprising details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ilustraci\u00f3n\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Illustration.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing Up with Merab: “I didn’t know what fear was”<\/h2>\n\n\nDvalishvili has had several near-death experiences. At age 6, he almost drowned in a river while walking with his siblings in Georgia, his native country.\n\n\n
\n\n

\u201cMerab didn’t know what fear was,\u201d said Misha, Dvalishvili’s older brother. \u201cEven as a child, he was impulsive, confident, and loved to take risks. We were on a trip to the mountains and he jumped straight into an icy river, which swept him away instantly. Our other brother, Malkhaz, immediately recognized the danger and pulled him out. If he had been delayed a minute, he might not have saved him.\u201d<\/p>\n\nMisha, Merab’s brother<\/cite>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Despite the danger, Merab never panicked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Post by Merab Dvalishvili<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This attitude explains why Dvalishvili has starred in several viral videos related to water. In addition to the incident in the frozen lake, he jumped off a cliff and tried to swim against the current in Jamaica with his friends and teammates Aljamain Sterling and Al Iaquinta. Eight months later, he posted a video swimming underwater along a pool in Las Vegas, holding his breath for 30 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dvalishvili’s brothers soon realized they couldn’t propose risky challenges to him, as he accepted them instantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1999, when Dvalishvili was 9 years old, his family moved to Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. Malkhaz had to save his life for the second time before he turned 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMerab was playing outside with other children, and while running towards the house, he touched some exposed electrical wires,\u201d said his father, Amiran. \u201cThe current electrocuted him and he became motionless, holding onto the metal railing, unable to speak. Malkhaz kicked Merab with all his might to break the electrical contact. If Malkhaz had been a few seconds late, it could have been tragic. Merab’s palms were severely burned. It was a terrifying moment that I will never forget.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dvalishvili smiles and shrugs upon hearing these stories. He can’t help but be who he is. \u201cMy older brother is smart, you know?\u201d he says. \u201cMy second brother is very kind, religious, and just wants to give love to everyone; he’s peaceful. I take risks. Eventually, I think I’ll get married and have kids and then I’ll be, uh, smarter. I’ll stop doing silly things.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Working with Merab: “I record everything”<\/h2>\n\n\nWeeks before his first title fight against O’Malley at UFC 306, Dvalishvili suffered a cut above his left eye during training. In combat sports, cuts can put a fighter at a disadvantage and are often kept secret. However, Dvalishvili posted on social media the cut that required stitches.\n\n\n

UFC CEO Dana White called Dvalishvili’s decision to post about the cut as “stupid.” A week later, Dvalishvili posted a video removing his stitches with pruning shears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Longo, Dvalishvili’s head coach since 2012, and who now shares that role with John Wood, coach at Syndicate MMA in Las Vegas, explains that Dvalishvili has always been like this with recordings and social media. As with risk-taking, he can’t help it.<\/p>\n\n\n\u201cHe\u2019s crazy with the camera and has been that way since day one,\u201d Longo said. \u201cHe\u2019s always recording everything. When he got his stitches out with those huge scissors, I said, \u2018You can\u2019t piss Dana White off like that.\u2019 And he just said, \u2018Ray, this is nothing.\u2019\u201d\n\n\n

During the trip to Jamaica with Sterling, Dvalishvili almost got into a fight with a tour guide and the local police over an accusation of non-payment. At the height of the conflict, Sterling was astonished to see Dvalishvili recording everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Post by Merab Dvalishvili<\/a><\/p>\n\n\nSharing his life on social media isn’t the worst thing for Dvalishvili, as his income depends, in part, on increasing his online fan base. But, above all, Dvalishvili says he enjoys creating content, whether it’s defeating a “600-pound gorilla” in the gym, using a pillow with O’Malley’s face in a baby carrier, or standing too close to the edge of every cliff, ledge, and balcony.\n\n\n

\u201cIn general, I record everything,\u201d he says. \u201cAt first, I didn’t publish it because I wanted to keep it or it wasn’t interesting, but now people like it, I edit videos to make them fun or interesting. I don’t mind laughing at myself, and if I see something interesting, I don’t just want to keep it to myself. I like to share it if it’s positive energy or something we can all learn from.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Living with Merab: “He has always defended the truth”<\/h2>\n\n\nA little over a year ago, Dvalishvili was going to be in the corner of his teammate and Georgian compatriot Aleko Sagliani against Ahmad Hassanzada at a local MMA event in Las Vegas. The fight was important, as the winner was hoping to receive an invitation to fight on “Dana White’s Contender Series”.\n\n\n

The fight took place at the Sahara Las Vegas, and Dvalishvili’s teammate did not achieve victory. Sagliani and Hassanzada went to the back for a routine post-fight medical evaluation, and members of each team ended up in a sort of nearby waiting area. The moments before the fight had been tense, and each group was quite numerous. Dvalishvili congratulated the members of the other team and asked them to be respectful and not celebrate too much until everyone had left. Instead, the pre-fight tension erupted when the two groups began to argue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Merab<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the photo, Merab Dvalishvili’s coaches, Ray Longo (left) and John Wood (right).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople started fighting with each other, and my other coaches and I were asking ourselves, \u2018Do we break it up or get involved?\u2019\u201d Wood said. \u201cBasically, we ended up doing a little bit of both. There were about 20 people involved. I didn\u2019t even know who was who.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Merab was at the medical exams with Aleko this whole time, and things were about to calm down, but out of nowhere, from behind the curtain, I saw Merab jump the rope and run out to tackle and start slapping this guy with an open hand. After that, all hell broke loose.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There have been multiple incidents captured on video in which Dvalishvili confronted UFC fans he perceived as disrespectful, towards him or, especially, towards his teammates. A month before his first encounter with O’Malley, Dvalishvili was filmed jumping a barricade to confront a heckler. He then had to be separated from a person in the front row at UFC 310 after Sterling lost a decision to Movsar Evloev three months later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most difficult chapters in Dvalishvili’s career came when Sterling was the champion of the men’s bantamweight division. The UFC expressed interest in the two friends facing each other, and Dvalishvili refused to even consider the idea. He remains true to his principles and ignores the possibility of consequences when they are challenged. So, when Dvalishvili felt that Hassanzada’s team was disrespecting his teammate after a defeat, he did not hesitate to act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne of my friends was begging them to calm down and respect us, and they kept going and going,\u201d says Dvalishvili. \u201cWhen I came out and still heard that, I said, \u2018Get out of here.\u2019 Once my teammates saw me, they all left. Even John Wood was walking like a robot with his hands up, looking for someone to hit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even as a child, Dvalishvili’s family said he never tolerated disrespect towards others, especially when it came to kicking someone when they were down. He was the youngest of three siblings, but never turned to his older brothers in a conflict. His mother, Darejan, can recall a case where, at age 3, he was playing with a small axe, chopping wood in the front yard, and chased an older boy who was bullying his brother, with the axe in his hand.<\/p>\n\n\nThat intolerance of bullying followed Dvalishvili to the city.\n\n\n

\u201cHe has always defended the truth,\u201d Malkhaz said. \u201cIn Tbilisi, he often had to fight in the street because of injustice or harassment. There was one time I saw him take on three guys at once. He was always independent in that. He never came to us, the older brothers, to get us involved in that. And when they told him they wanted to fight his older brothers, that angered him even more.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite being someone who would, without hesitation, jump into a frozen lake, Dvalishvili has a deep sense of responsibility. When something is entrusted to him, he takes it very seriously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When he was 6 years old, Dvalishvili’s family was invited to a birthday party in their village, and his mother decided to bake a cake. She had all the ingredients she needed, except for a piece of butter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The nearest market to Dvalishvili’s house was 7 miles away, and the rest of his family members were busy that morning. His mother gave him money and gave him basic instructions on how to bring back a piece of butter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey told me: \u2018Merab, you are a big man, you can do it\u2019,\u201d says Dvalishvili. \u201cThey said all I had to do was go to the transportation center, wait for the bus, and then not get off until it made its last stop. They said: \u2018Buy the butter and then go back to the bus stop and do exactly the same thing. Don\u2019t go anywhere else\u2019\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dvalishvili’s first half of the journey went well. He arrived at the market and bought the butter, just as he had been told.<\/p>\n\n\n“He followed the instructions precisely,” Darejan said. “But for some reason, he didn’t put it in a bag. He simply held the piece of butter in his hands, and it was a hot summer day.”\n\nDvalishvili had taken the task, and the instructions, so seriously, that he didn’t add the extra step of putting the butter in a bag. He was determined to do what he had been told, and nobody had said anything about any bag. He sat at that bus stop 7 miles from his house and agonizingly watched the butter melt between his fingers.\n\n\u201cI really wanted to cry, but I also wanted to be tough and, you know, not give up on my mission,\u201d says Dvalishvili. \u201cI wanted to be a big man, like they had said. However, once I got to my bus stop, I ran home and immediately started crying.\u201d\n\nDarejan keeps many memories of each of her children in her heart, but that day with the butter has always stood out. It’s one of the family’s favorite stories to tell.\n\n\n

Dvalishvili became the unofficial grocery buyer of the house and made many more trips to the market after that, because although the first mission didn’t go as planned, everyone knew he would never let it happen again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat moment with the butter has always stayed with me, seeing a child take responsibility for something so seriously,\u201d Darejan said. \u201cIt may seem like a small thing, but for me, seeing Merab standing there with the melted butter and tears in his eyes said more than words could. I hugged him and we both laughed a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As funny as it may seem, these stories about Dvalishvili fit perfectly with the current story of his career as a champion. He has been underestimated at times, and he has done some undeniably stupid things along the way, but in his own way, Merab is making his mark.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Merab Dvalishvili: The Champion Who Dives into Chaos In February 2021, UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili made one of the most ill-advised decisions of his life during a historic snowstorm on Long Island, New York. His coach, Ray Longo, had ordered the gym to be closed for two days. But, instead of staying home, Dvalishvili […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9397,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[3585,2380,228,1526],"class_list":{"0":"post-9396","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mma","8":"tag-merab-dvalishvili","9":"tag-social-media","10":"tag-ufc","11":"tag-viral"},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9396","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9396"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9396\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9397"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9396"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9396"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9396"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}