Photo: ESPN
Next Fight
UFC 333: Volkanovski vs. Evloev→
vs Petr Yan · Oct 24, 2026
Tale of the Tape
Age
35
Height
5' 6"
Reach
68"
Stance
Orthodox
Country
Georgia
Key Stats
81%
Win Rate
24%
Finish Rate
3
KO/TKO Wins
2
Submission Wins
6
Title Fight Wins
26
Pro Fights
Advanced Stats
Color = level vs. divisionStriking
Grappling
Career
Win Methods
At #1 in the bantamweight rankings, Merab Dvalishvili — "The Machine" to fight fans — is past the "prospect" stage. This is contender territory, and every fight from here is a title eliminator in disguise.
Wrestling is the skeleton key here — 6 takedowns a round on average. Everything opponents want to do standing gets interrupted, smothered, and dragged to the canvas.
The last fight went to Petr Yan (Decision - Unanimous) — a setback, and the interesting question is always what a fighter does with one.
Recent Fights
Petr Yan
Decision - Unanimous · Dec 7, 2025
UFC 323: Dvalishvili vs. Yan 2
Cory Sandhagen
Decision - Unanimous · Oct 5, 2025
UFC 320: Ankalaev vs. Pereira 2
Sean O'Malley
Submission (Guillotine Choke) R3 · Jun 8, 2025
UFC 316: Dvalishvili vs. O'Malley 2
Umar Nurmagomedov
Decision - Unanimous · Jan 19, 2025
UFC 311: Makhachev vs. Moicano
Sean O'Malley
Decision - Unanimous · Sep 15, 2024
UFC 306 – Riyadh Season Noche UFC: O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili
Latest / Merab Dvalishvili News
Volkanovski vs Evloev Headlines UFC 333 — And the Champ May Be Running Out of Time
Volkanovski (28-4) defends against undefeated Movsar Evloev, while Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili renew their bantamweight rivalry on a stacked Oct. 24 card.
Oct 23, 2026
Merab Dvalishvili Eyes Song Yadong Next — Win or Lose vs Yan at UFC 333
After a 10-month layoff, Dvalishvili says he'd book Song Yadong for UFC 334 at MSG in November — even if Petr Yan beats him Saturday.
Oct 23, 2026
Merab Dvalishvili Wants His Belt Back — and Petr Yan Is in the Way
After 14 straight wins and a title reign ended last December, Dvalishvili meets Yan for a third time at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi. The series is tied 1-1.
Oct 21, 2026