‘Honorary Mexican’ Merab Dvalishvili appreciated by UFC champ for embracing culture ahead of Noche UFC title fight

Merab Dvalishvili and Alexa Grasso are going to be in the octagon this September as a part of UFC 306. The UFC women’s flyweight champion recently expressed her appreciation for Merab Dvalishvili for adopting Mexican culture as he prepared for his fight. Here is what happened:

Merab Dvalishvili is a Georgian fighter by origin. However, he playfully took on the role of an “honorary Mexican,” particularly in the lead-up to UFC 306. Alexa Grasso talked about it in her latest interview with Shakeil Mahjouri during their conversation on Shak MMA.

I feel it’s funny and it’s really nice that he’s doing that kind of things. Tasting the food, dancing, trying to be more with Mexican crowd and it’s really nice to watch that.

Alexa Grasso on Shak MMA

Dvalishvili’s connection to Mexican culture started during his preparation for his bout against Henry Cejudo at UFC 298. There he taunted the former UFC champion with light-hearted jabs accusing him of not fully embracing his heritage. Dvalishvili sought to do them instead during his own preparations. 

Grasso appreciated the Georgian’s effort especially in the context of Noche UFC, which celebrates Mexican Independence Day. ‘The Machine’ is stepping in for a shot at the UFC bantamweight title against champion Sean O’Malley. Meanwhile, Alexa Grasso will defend her flyweight championship against Valentina Shevchenko once again highlighting the night’s co main event.

Dvalishvili is a fan favorite because of his humorous and light-hearted personality. He showcases this through his various social media skits. In fact, opponent Sean O’Malley was also seen chuckling at said skits on a few occasions.

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Legendary MMA coach talks strategy for Merab Dvalishvili ahead of showdown at UFC 306

Ray Longo, long-time coach of Merab Dvalishvili, recently shared his insights on the highly anticipated fight between Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley at UFC 306. Longo sat down for a conversation on The Anik & Florian Podcast where he acknowledged the difficult task ahead of tackling O’Malley’s ‘precision striking’.

Merab will need to endure some of O’Malley’s punches to win this fight. According to Longo, trying to entirely avoid the champ’s strikes would be a mistake. He also emphasized that grappling would be crucial for Dvalishvili, although O’Malley has also proven capable of staying on his feet.

O’Malley is a sharpshooter. If you go in there thinking you’re not going to get hit or you’re just going to do this or do that, I think that’s a huge mistake.

Ray Longo on Anik and Florian

The MMA coach suggested that Dvalishvili’s high pace and relentless pressure could potentially break O’Malley over five rounds. This is a strategy that aligns with Dvalishvili’s well-known endurance and grinding style. Other experts, including John Wood, have echoed similar sentiments, believing Dvalishvili’s stamina and ability to mentally wear down his opponent will be key in this fight.

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