Merab Dvalishvili rains down on Team Khabib and Dagestani fighters with similar skills critic as another UFC champ: “Khabib simply did not meet a worthy opponent”

UFC 135-pound champion Merab Dvalishvili touts Georgian prowess after UFC 311 PPV, as Khabib Nurmagomedov and co. catch wild strays.

Merab Dvalishvili rains down on Team Khabib and Dagestani fighters with similar skills critic as another UFC champ: “Khabib simply did not meet a worthy opponent”

Merab Dvalishvili unloads with subtle dig on undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov (Source: X/IMAGO)

UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili continues to blow everyone away. Many have wondered how Dvalishvili (19-4 MMA, 12-2 UFC) is able to seamlessly maintain such an incredible pace. The Georgian and his ‘genetic’ cardio continued their reign recently at the UFC 311 PPV. Combat sambo fame Dvalishvili often sees prime power scaling comparisons to Khabib Nurmagomedov and the dominant Dagestani lineup.

The UFC 135-pound champ, though, says the difference is worlds apart. Dvalishvili went wrestle-heavy and rallied to outlast Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 PPV co-mains. He swiped out Khabib Nurmagomedov’s previously undefeated cousin to unanimous scores of 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46.

With the stellar stat coming to an end, the Georgian mean “Machine” is on top of the world. He gives Dagestani fighters and the Team Khabib lineup their dues but says those too are ordinary men who can be defeated.

Dagestanis are really good fighters., …They have always excelled in martial arts. They have always won competitions. But – at the same time, they are ordinary people, heavenly forces do not help them. They are ordinary athletes and others can defeat them, as you saw in my case…Khabib went undefeated, but he simply did not meet a worthy opponent.

Merab Dvalishvili to Europop in a champion’s media press conference in Tbilisi

Dvalishvili talked about his future in a press conference in Tbilisi recently, rating his nation above all. He said he’d be willing to relinquish the 135-pound undisputed gold for Alicante Georgian Aleksandre Topuria. The Georgia vs. Dagestan mountain men wrestler’s squabble has been quite a thing. While Dagestanis are infamous for their cardio and rigor, Dvalishvili takes a dig at Khabib Nurmagomedov, saying he just didn’t meet his stylistic match.

Subsequently, that’s a ginormous thing to level at the lightweight legend who won awards and Submission ESPYs for his dominant run (29-0). Recently, Georgian UFC 145-pound champ Ilia Topuria also said something similar, dumbing down the talent pool. In his defense, he promotes how Umar tried to dominate the early rounds but Dvalishvili prevailed. It’s a case of a pure cardio monster.

Coach Ray Longo explains how the UFC has ‘created a monster’ in the form of Merab Dvalishvili

Topuria interjects with the idea that Khabib Nurmagomedov and other Dagestani fighters need to dominate to win. It’s not so much a critique of “Eagle” or the achievements of team Dagestan as it is touting the Georgian prowess. Especially since he respects and lauds Nurmagomedov as the UFC 155-pound GOAT. However, Georgians carry the cardio just as well, sometimes better.

Merab Dvalishvili's domination explained after UFC 311
Merab Dvalishvili’s domination explained after UFC 311 (Source: X)

While Dagestan does boast champ-worthy scramblers, Georgia truly is great too. Shota Chochishvili remains one of the most famous global wrestlers of the yesteryears. Giorgi Kvelidze, Giga Kukhalashvili, Giga “Ninja” Chikadze, Amiran “The Sniper” Gogoladze, and Liana “She Wolf” Jojua have all made storms in the MMA spectrum. Current world champion Vladimer Khinchegashvili (#1 —57kg weight category) made his fame by treading over others.

But even among the greats, UFC’s Merab Dvalishvili is a different beast, as UFC 311 proved when he stretched his win streak. Coach Ray Longo of Camp Syndicate MMA shed some light on it.

First off, he’s still getting better, …Merab was always a work in progress. Even any time he lost before he got to the UFC, he always made the corrections…I said it the other day, what they did to him to get to the title, putting a who’s-who in front of him to beat, I think they just created a monster. His confidence just kept getting better and better – everything. We had to walk through fire to get to that title and it’s that thing – Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

Ray Longo to MMA on SiriusXM; H/T: MMA Today w/ @DinThomas & @AlanJouban

“Machine” had to win 10 straight fights, then he got his crack at gold. This includes wins over former champions Jose Aldo, Petr Yan, and Olympian Henry Cejudo. Dvalisvili then defeated brand superstar Sean O’Malley as well. With two losses on a long list of wins, he says the cardio monster prepped to make corrections every time he faced such big names. He’d go six rounds sparring for three-round scrappers, per Longo. The results speak for themselves.

Related: Dricus Du Plessis in shock of Merab Dvalishvili’s gas tank at UFC 311: “Needs to be studied”