Merab Dvalishvili on Track to Surpass Islam Makhachev and Jon Jones According to ex-UFC Champ

UFC veteran talks about Merab Dvalishvili's potential to beat Islam Makhachev and Jon Jones in a particular achievement.

Merab Dvalishvili on Track to Surpass Islam Makhachev and Jon Jones According to ex-UFC Champ

Jon Jones, Merab Dvalishvili and Islam Makhachev (via EuroSport, X and YouTube-UFC)

At UFC 316, Merab Dvalishvili defended his bantamweight title for the second time, putting on a dominant performance. The Georgian fighter showcased his elite skills by submitting his former rival Sean O’Malley in decisive fashion. Entering as the fan favorite, Dvalishvili lived up to expectations with another impressive victory. Many experts now believe the champion has become unstoppable in the division.

Initially, Dvalishvili joined the UFC and lost two fights in a row and since then has beaten some of the best bantamweights in history. Following the bout, Henry Cejudo was extremely impressed by the Georgian and called him the bantamweight GOAT. In his Pound-for-pound podcast with Kamaru Usman, Cejudo shared why he believes Dvalishvili can surpass both Islam Makhachev and Jon Jones.

Jones hasn’t gone through everybody in the heavyweight division, Islam hasn’t gone through everybody in the lightweight division. This dude(Merab) is about to go through everybody and there’s no denying it. If Merab is able to get that thing (beating Cory Sandhagen) done bro. He not only deserves pound-for-pound No. 1 but also the Fighter of the Year 2025.

While prime Jones has dominated the light heavyweight division, he has not been that active after becoming the heavyweight champion. Similarly, for Makhachev before vacating, his title reign (of 4 defenses) consisted of two against Alexander Volkanovski, who is a featherweight (moved up to lightweight). However, if Dvalishvili beats top bantamweight contender Cory Sandhagen next, he will have one of the most dominant resumes ever.

Sandhagen is a UFC veteran and in his last bout he defeated former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo to earn a potential title shot. Following UFC 316, Dvalishvili immediately agreed to fight Sandhagen who was present inside the arena and later went up to the octagon. The Georgian is now on a 13 fight win streak which is the joint fourth highest in UFC history.

Jones is also in that list and respectfully welcomed Dvalishvili to that league with a social media post. Dvalishvili is also tied with the likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Demetrious Johnson, Max Holloway and Georges St-Pierre.

Merab Dvalishvili is ready to fight the flyweight champion

Following his dominant title defense against Sean O’Malley at UFC 316, Merab Dvalishvili surged into the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings. His relentless pace and grappling mastery earned him the second spot, surpassing even Jon Jones and Ilia Topuria. His only behind the Islam Makhachev who has been ruling the rankings for some time now with four lightweight defences.

Merab Dvalishvili is ready for another challenge
Merab Dvalishvili is ready for another challenge (via X)

Dvalishvili has also earned a huge fan base due to his crazy personality and eagerness to fight as much as possible. Now one of the biggest fights that fans want UFC to make, is the superfight between him and Alexandre Pantoja. In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, the ‘Machine’ mentioned that he’s ready to share the octagon with the flyweight champion.

Yes, if he will move up in my weight class and UFC is interested in this. No problem. I’m sure a lot of people will be interested in this fight. I respect Pantoja. Pantoja will be a tough opponent for me. If Pantoja wants this and if the UFC wants this, I have no problem with that.

Pantoja has already solidified his flyweight reign with dominant wins over Brandon Moreno, Brandon Royval and Kai Asakura. His elite grappling and relentless pressure make him a tough matchup for any challenger. A superfight against Dvalishvili would test Pantoja’s ability to handle the Georgian’s pace and wrestling. Pantoja’s submission threat and durability could disrupt Dvalishvili’s grinding style. This clash would be a true battle of cardio, technique, and championship grit.