Merab Dvalishvili (17-4) wants to show the world that greatness can be achieved through pure hard work.
Dvalishvili is riding the longest winning streak in UFC bantamweight history at 10, a streak that would have earned him a title shot long ago if he hadn’t hesitated to fight his friend and former champion Aljamain Sterling. The Georgia native will finally get a shot at gold when he faces Sean O’Malley (18-1) in the main event of UFC 306 at the Sphere in Las Vegas on Saturday.
“The Machine” could become just the second Georgian to win a UFC title, following Georgian-Spanish Ilia Topuria’s knockout victory over Alexander Volkanovski to win the featherweight title in February this year. As well as meaning a lot to the country, Dvalishvili also wants to set an example for hard-working people. Known for his relentless cardio, Dvalishvili admits he is not blessed with physical ability, but rather relies entirely on hard work.
“For my country, this is huge. For a small country, it means a lot for a fighter to win a UFC belt. Everybody knows I’m just a hard worker. I’m not talented,” Dvalishvili told UFC.com. “If I win this belt, it will show people that you just have to work hard and, of course, it will set a good example for kids and hard workers. One thing I know for sure is that I will give it my all to win the belt and I want to achieve a lot of great things with it.”
UFC 306, also known as Noche UFC Riyadh Season, is an event in which the promotion pays tribute to the country of Mexico and its contributions to combat sports. While UFC 306’s main event will not feature a fighter of Mexican descent, Dvalishvili will be taking on the role of honorary Mexican and furthering his involvement with Mexican culture by visiting the city of Tijuana. Dvalishvili said he feels a strong connection to the Mexican work ethic and camaraderie.
UFC 306: O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili airs Saturday at 10pm ET on ESPN+. Order now!
“I love my country, I love my Mexican people because they’re hardworking,” he said. “They support each other and I love that. They’re tough people, they’re warriors, they support each other and they’re tight-knit. I feel like I’m one of them. I’m a warrior and I want to support my friends and my people. We’re connected and I’m going to represent Mexico.”
Dvalishvili, normally known for his grappling, has vowed to bring his Mexican-style attack to the O’Malley, known for his striking precision, claiming “Sugar” just needs a clean touch to awaken the beast within him.
“I have a big heart. If he hits me hard, he will wake me up. He will awaken the beast in me and I will become even fiercer,” Dvalishvili said.
