Merab Dvalishvili

Dvalishvili's title reign ended in a five-round rematch with Yan. The usual wrestling pace was there, but Yan kept enough of the fight upright and clean to bank the striking exchanges and take a unanimous decision over 25 minutes.

Key moments

• Lost the UFC Bantamweight Championship.
• A second meeting with Petr Yan after Dvalishvili had beaten him in 2023.
• Went the full five rounds in another high-output title fight.

Dvalishvili smothered Sandhagen's offense with the same formula that had already broken other contenders: takedowns, mat returns and pace. Over five rounds he turned a title defense into a grappling clinic and retained by unanimous decision.

Key moments

• Retained the UFC Bantamweight Championship.
• Repeated takedowns kept Sandhagen from building long striking stretches.
• Another successful title defense against a top contender.

The rematch was even more one-sided than the first meeting. Dvalishvili drowned O'Malley in wrestling and volume, then finished the fight late in round three with a choke after piling up another dominant title defense.

Key moments

• Second straight win over Sean O'Malley.
• Five takedowns and overwhelming top control defined the fight.
• Submission finish at 4:42 of round three.
• A successful defense of the UFC Bantamweight Championship.

Dvalishvili's first title defense demanded a full 25 minutes of work against another elite grappler. He kept the pace higher for longer, edged the key wrestling exchanges and left with a unanimous decision.

Key moments

• First defense of the UFC Bantamweight Championship.
• A five-round fight against another top wrestling-based contender.
• Won a unanimous decision after 25 hard minutes.

Dvalishvili won the bantamweight title by forcing O'Malley to fight off takedowns and defensive scrambles for five rounds at the Sphere. The champion never found a consistent answer to the pace, and all three judges scored the fight for Dvalishvili.

Key moments

• Won the UFC Bantamweight Championship.
• Five rounds of pace and takedown pressure against O'Malley.
• All three judges scored it for Dvalishvili.

Dvalishvili overwhelmed former two-division champion Henry Cejudo with the same pace that had become his trademark by 2024.

Key moments

• Won a unanimous decision on all three cards.
• Outlanded Cejudo 74-29 in significant strikes.
• Completed five takedowns while keeping Cejudo on the defensive.
• Closed a major contender matchup against a former UFC champion.

After Moraes nearly finished him early, Dvalishvili pushed back behind his cardio, broke the former title challenger with pressure and closed with a round-two TKO on the ground.

Key moments

• Weathered heavy trouble in round one before rallying.
• Stopped Moraes with punches at 4:25 of round two.
• Scored four takedowns while wearing Moraes down with pace.

Dvalishvili's pace and volume were too much for Cody Stamann over three rounds.

Key moments

• Won a unanimous decision in a three-round bantamweight bout.
• Outlanded Stamann 71-48 in significant strikes.
• Completed five takedowns to control the fight's tempo.
• Blended cleaner striking with his pressure wrestling for another UFC win.

Dvalishvili turned a respected veteran matchup into another pace fight.

Key moments

• Won a unanimous decision over former title challenger John Dodson.
• Used his pressure wrestling to keep Dodson reacting across three rounds.
• Stayed composed against Dodson's speed and counter threat.

He repeatedly put Kenney on the mat, kept the pressure high for all three rounds and came away with a unanimous decision in a strong step up in class.

Key moments

• Won a unanimous decision over a six-fight winner in Casey Kenney.
• Landed 12 takedowns across the three-round fight.
• Controlled long stretches with top pressure and mat returns.

Dvalishvili used pressure and repeated takedowns to outwork TUF winner Brad Katona over three rounds. It was not a flashy fight, but it was a clear one, with Dvalishvili consistently dictating where the exchanges happened and banking another UFC decision.

Key moments

• Won a unanimous decision over The Ultimate Fighter winner Brad Katona.
• Completed six takedowns and controlled the wrestling exchanges.
• Neutralized Katona's usual scrambling game with constant pressure.

Dvalishvili earned his first UFC win by completely overwhelming Terrion Ware with pace, takedowns and volume.

Key moments

• Captured his first UFC victory by unanimous decision.
• Landed five takedowns while outstriking Ware 62-8.
• Two judges scored the fight 30-25, underlining the one-sided control.

After controlling large stretches with pressure wrestling, he was caught in a mounted guillotine in the closing seconds and the bout was ruled a technical submission at the horn after a controversial review sequence.

Key moments

• Dropped a technical submission at exactly 5:00 of round three.
• Landed six takedowns and outstruck Simon 61-34 before the finish.
• The finish became known for its chaotic buzzer-beating, post-review ending.

Dvalishvili pushed a hard wrestling pace against Frankie Saenz, but the veteran's clinch work and late elbows were enough to edge a split decision. It was a competitive UFC debut that showed Dvalishvili's engine immediately, even if the result went the wrong way.

Key moments

• Lost a split decision in his UFC debut.
• Completed 11 takedowns while forcing Saenz to defend constantly.
• The striking was close, with Saenz edging the totals 58-47.

Dvalishvili stepped up to featherweight and still kept control of the fight, outworking Matt Tullos over three rounds at CES 36. The win mattered because it showed his pressure game could travel across divisions while he was still building his name on the regional circuit.

Key moments

• Won a unanimous decision over Matt Tullos at CES 36.
• Took the fight at featherweight rather than bantamweight.
• Handled a main-card spot in Rhode Island with the same pace-first approach.

Dvalishvili rebounded on the CES circuit by taking a unanimous decision over Geoffrey Then in Connecticut.

Key moments

• Won a unanimous decision over Geoffrey Then at CES 34.
• Handled the bout on the preliminary card at Foxwoods.
• Picked up the win in a different regional promotion from his usual Ring of Combat base.

Dvalishvili ran into a difficult regional test in Ricky Bandejas and lost a clear three-round decision at Cage Fury FC 43.

Key moments

• Lost a unanimous decision to Ricky Bandejas at Cage Fury FC 43.
• The fight took place at the Borgata in Atlantic City.
• Bandejas later stood as one of the more established names among Dvalishvili's early opponents.

It was a notable upset on paper and an important bounce-back win after his January loss to Darren Mima.

Key moments

• Stopped Dennis Dombrow with punches at 0:50 of round three.
• Scored the finish on the main card in Atlantic City.
• The win moved Dvalishvili back on track after his previous regional defeat.

Dvalishvili's first recorded professional setback came in a tight majority decision against Darren Mima at Ring of Combat 47.

Key moments

• Lost a majority decision to Darren Mima at Ring of Combat 47.
• The fight took place in Atlantic City at the Tropicana Casino.
• The narrow scoreline foreshadowed the kind of competitive regional fights he would soon turn into wins.