Merab Dvalishvili claimed the UFC bantamweight title by defeating Sean O’Malley at Noche UFC 306. He secured a unanimous decision victory, bringing O’Malley’s title reign to an end. Dana White’s new division champion had an interesting thing to say about his journey to the championship.
Before becoming champion, Merab Dvalishvili had told the UFC media that it was a dream come true for him to fight for the title. It was what he had been training hard for, and he would make sure he put in the hard work and won. At the post-fight press conference, he addressed his win and attributed it to nothing but hard work.
Guys, as you see it’s just hard work man. Just hard work, nothing magic here. Just work hard, focus and dreams will come true.
Merab Dvalishvili said
Dvalishvili became the second Georgian UFC champion this year, following featherweight champion Ilia Topuria. Talking about his country earlier, ‘The Machine’ had mentioned that it meant a lot for a small country for a fighter to win a UFC belt. He talked about how everybody knew he was not gifted, just a hard worker. If he won the belt, it would show people that one can just work hard and prove to be a good example to kids and hardworking people.
The event itself was held at the state-of-the-art Sphere in Las Vegas. A part of Dana White’s ambitious $20 million project, the high-tech venue made UFC 306 a unique visual and entertainment experience, further elevating the promotion’s production standards.
Merab Dvalishvili’s struggles as an immigrant Dana White handed him a UFC contract
Merab Dvalishvili has a fascinating backstory leading up to his UFC career. Before becoming a high-level MMA fighter, Dvalishvili emigrated from Georgia to the U.S., where he worked in construction while also chasing his dream of being a professional fighter. He juggled tough manual labor with the grueling training required to become a mixed martial arts fighter of his caliber.
Merab Dvalishvili was an immigrant before becoming a UFC fighter (Image via X/Imago)Before earning his UFC contract, Dvalishvili made a name for himself in smaller promotions. His determination caught the eye of UFC CEO Dana White during a season of “Dana White’s Contender Series”. White was impressed and eventually offered him a contract with the UFC. Dvalishvili made his debut in 2017 and also became a US citizen by 2020.
THREAD about Merab Dvalishvili as a construction worker. #UFC252 – 1/3
He managed to emigrate for 7 years and work at the constructions at the same time and also, trained hard independently on its way to become a successful. pic.twitter.com/78ELZS8UGY
— Giorgi Kokiashvili 🇬🇪 (@iHeartGeorgius1) August 16, 2020
Despite some early setbacks, including a controversial submission loss in his second fight, Merab’s drive never wavered. He continued to refine his skills and ultimately secured the title of the new UFC bantamweight champion.
