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Updated 6/21/2026, 6:14:32 AMCompare ⇄
MMAhealthyMerab DvalishviliWikipedia: Merab Dvalishvili
Georgia · UFC

Merab Dvalishvili

"The Machine"

ArchetypePressure Grappler

Cuts the cage, changes levels, drowns opponents in control time.

BantamweightOrthodoxAge 35
Record
21-5-0
Win %
81%
KO / TKO
3
Submissions
2
Finish Rate
24%
Height
167 cm
Reach
172 cm
Fights
26
Secret Weapon

Fight Plan: Merab Dvalishvili

A coach-ready game plan — historical weaknesses opponents have exploited and what to drill in camp.

Historical Weaknesses
  • Striking defense can be porous when over-extending on entry
  • Low finishing rate despite dominant control time
  • Susceptible to high-level counter-wrestling from disciplined strikers
Camp Focus
  • Drill takedown defense and cage-wall scrambles
  • Stack southpaw sparring partners in camp
  • Underhook battles and posture work off the back
Blueprint Radar
BP 7.5/10

Fighter fingerprint

Six-axis profile — the shape tells you the style at a glance.

Aggression52Cardio100Wrestling98Fight IQ92Distance Control83Finishing24Merab Dvalishvili
Read the shape

Cardio and Wrestling are the standout edges; opponents should expect their game plan to lean on these. Finishing is the lowest axis — exploit it.

  • Aggression52
  • Cardio100
  • Wrestling98
  • Fight IQ92
  • Distance Control83
  • Finishing24
Camp Prep ReportWhat to drill this week

Prep for camp: Merab Dvalishvili

Recommendations a coach can act on tomorrow — opponent tendencies, drills, and the sparring styles to stack against this fight.

Most Common Tendencies
Patterns to expect in the cage
  • Weaponizes pace through relentless volume wrestling and chain takedown attempts
  • Uses high-frequency feints and jab entries to bridge distance for level changes
  • Maintains a frantic tempo that forces opponents to defend rather than set their own offense
Training Recommendations
Drill these specific looks
  • Drill reactive sprawls — bait the shot off your right hand
  • Pad work on cutting their right-side cage exits
  • Match their pace through round 2, then turn the screws in 3
  • Win exchanges with volume, not single shots — they walk through power
  • Posture and frame drills off bottom — never give up the back
Sparring Recommendations
Stack these styles in camp
  • Southpaw pressure striker
  • Chain-wrestling D1 partner
  • High-output kickboxer with heavy leg kicks
  • Black-belt grappler comfortable on bottom
Find Footage

See it on film

Every read above should be verifiable. Jump straight to the footage on the platforms that host it legally — official channels first, archive sites second.

Striking Tape

Distance, combinations, defensive movement

Wrestling / Grappling Tape

Entries, cage control, scrambles, submissions

Recent Fights

Last 3 performances, full rounds and post-fight breakdowns

Coaches: official clip embeds per fighter are coming next — for now, deep links open searches pre-filtered to Merab Dvalishvili.

Fighter Evolution

How Merab has changed

Trend lines across the last three years of tape.

2022
Aggression5.9
Wrestling8.3
Fight IQ8.2
2024
Aggression6.9
Wrestling9.1
Fight IQ8.3
2026
Aggression7.5
Wrestling9.8
Fight IQ9.2

Synthesized from recent fight tape · refresh to recompute

Similar Fighters

Stylistic neighbors

Closest matches across attributes, finish profile, and discipline — useful for sparring partner selection.

Status / Injuries

healthy

No recent injuries reported following the Dec 2025 bout.

Checked 6/21/2026

Recent Form

  • L
    vs Petr Yan
    U-DEC · R5 · UFC 323: Dvalishvili vs. Yan 2
    2025-12-06
  • W
    vs Cory Sandhagen
    U-DEC · R5 · UFC 320: Ankalaev vs. Pereira 2
    2025-10-04
  • W
    vs Sean O'Malley
    SUB · R3 · UFC 316: Dvalishvili vs. O'Malley 2
    2025-06-07
  • W
    vs Umar Nurmagomedov
    U-DEC · R5 · UFC 311: Makhachev vs. Moicano
    2025-01-18
  • W
    vs Sean O'Malley
    U-DEC · R5 · UFC 306: Riyadh Season Noche UFC
    2024-09-14

Availability

active

Recently competed in December 2025.

Record

W-L-D
21-5-0
KO / TKO
3
Submissions
2
Win %
81%

Attribute Profile

Chin90
Cardio100
Fight IQ92
Striking75
Grappling95
Wrestling98

Scouting Summary

Merab Dvalishvili is an elite-level pressure wrestler known for having the most relentless cardio in the UFC bantamweight division. He wins by overwhelming opponents with a constant barrage of takedown attempts and volume striking, effectively breaking them mentally and physically. As a high-output pace-pusher, he is a nightmare matchup for anyone unable to maintain his 'Machine'-like tempo over 15 to 25 minutes.

Primary source ↗

Tendencies

  • Weaponizes pace through relentless volume wrestling and chain takedown attempts
  • Uses high-frequency feints and jab entries to bridge distance for level changes
  • Maintains a frantic tempo that forces opponents to defend rather than set their own offense
  • Excels at pinning opponents against the cage to initiate mat returns and positional attrition

Signature Moves

  • Chain Wrestling
  • Blast Double Leg
  • Kneetap Takedown
  • High-Volume Ground and Pound
  • Guillotine Choke

Weaknesses

  • Striking defense can be porous when over-extending on entry
  • Low finishing rate despite dominant control time
  • Susceptible to high-level counter-wrestling from disciplined strikers