LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Merab Dvalishvili is one of the more interesting characters in mixed martial arts and the UFC, and he's arguably Sean O'Malley's toughest opponent to date.
But Dvalishvili carries a unique backstory with him in his first opportunity at UFC gold. And it's impossible to question his drive and willingness to battle through adversity.
A native of the Republic of Georgia, Merab emigrated to the United States at the age of 21, and he moved to New York where he trained, but also worked as a construction worker simultaneously while training as a fighter to make ends meet.
"Every day I was asking myself question, especially when I was at the work and working in the sun or in the snow," Dvalishvili said. "But when I was going home and I was still going to practice, I was still working hard."
It was tough balancing the two in a new country for the young fighter, and even though he cracked into the UFC in 2017, Dvalishvili actually lost his first two fights.
So the call to stop pursuing his dream was frequent.
"When I think how tough life was up until like 2019, 2020, I had so many challenges in my life," Dvalishvili said. "So many challenge man, so many hard ways. Every day, I was asking myself, 'Should I continue or should I stop?' Because maybe this is not for me."
But fortunes began to turn around in 2020 when Merab fought three times, all of which were victories.
From there, he cracked into the bantamweight rankings, and began to take down contenders and multiple former champions — including Jose Aldo, Petr Yan and Henry Cejudo — as he ballooned his winning streak into 10 fights.
Dvalishvili is 17-4 as a professional mixed martial artist, with a 10-2 mark in the UFC. Stylistically, Dvalishvili is a decorated and furious wrestler who is most well known for his limitless cardio and relentless takedown attempts. Coupled with his physical style, Dvalishvili wears down his opponents over the duration of the fight, with 13 of his 17 fights going to decision.
"I get more fights in UFC, and I started making good money, and I quit my job, and I became full-time fighter, and I moved to Vegas," Dvalishvili recalled. "I fixed my immigration papers, you know, and I can travel to my country or whatever country I want now. I became (a U.S.) citizen. Man, a lot of things changed, and I'm happy."
Merab's bult up a strong following on social media with quirky skits featuring a friend who looks like O'Malley as he's connected with fans. But, Dvalishvili also knows how dangerous the current champ is, so he aims to put the beef aside to focus on the task at hand.
"Now I have even more important thing to beat him on Saturday night and grab his belt, take his belt, and I can talk after the fight, maybe I can forgive him or we can just talk," Dvalishvili said. "I want to just win and show him to he has to be humble and he has to respect everybody. Today how I feel, nothing personal. It's just professional."
Most importantly, he doesn't take where he came from for granted, knowing his long, winding and challenging journey has led him to the precipice of becoming a UFC world champion.
"I'm grateful for UFC first," Dvalishvili said. "I can sleep in my own house and support my family members, my friends and inspire other people. And because, I think I'm example, if I did it, they can do it too.
"Just keep dreaming, and keep working for your dream and everything is possible."
