‘In all my years’… Joe Rogan and a UFC legend had never seen ‘superhuman’ attribute until Merab Dvalishvili

Merab Dvalishvili will hope that his biggest strength paves the way for another crucial victory over Sean O’Malley.

Dvalishvili will defend his title against O’Malley in the main event of Saturday’s UFC 316 pay-per-view.

The rematch comes eight months on from their first clash at the Sphere, where the Georgian realized his title dreams with a dominant five-round display.

Dvalishvili’s victory was forged by a notable attribute that a number of big names have fallen victim to in the UFC – and that has left plenty in complete awe.

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Matt Serra and Joe Rogan lauded Merab Dvalishvili’s unbelievable cardio

Aside from his humorous online skits and frequent altercations with fans away from the Octagon, Dvalishvili is renowned for an incredibly impressive strength – cardio.

‘The Machine’ is known for living up to his moniker, and that was most recently on display when Dvalishvili outlasted Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311.

And even before winning the bantamweight title and recording his first defense, Dvalishvili was getting plenty of plaudits for his never-ending gas tank.

Among those praising him were Joe Rogan and Matt Serra during episode 154 of the JRE MMA Show. The latter, who has been a longtime member of the champion’s corner in the UFC, went as far as to say he’s never seen cardio like Dvalishvili’s.

“Merab, the thing is with Merab, I’ve never seen — in all my years, I’ve never seen a gas tank like that. I never have.”

Rogan echoed that sentiment, explaining that the bantamweight fighter’s speed makes it all the more impressive.

“He’s a savage,” Rogan said. “It’s incredible. It’s incredible, because it’s not like he’s slow. Like, you generally associate really high-level endurance with guys that maybe don’t have the kind of power [and speed] he has…he’s an animal.”

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Rogan reiterated that sentiment more recently while speaking to Dvalishvili’s fellow countryman, ex-featherweight champion Ilia Topuria.

“I just don’t understand that cardio,” Rogan said. “It’s like superhuman cardio.

“To see him make Umar start to wilt. You see the wobble when guys start getting fatigued, Merab had none, zero. That man is a machine.”

Merab Dvalishvili’s record-breaking UFC run since a 7-4 start to his MMA career

While Dvalishvili is currently on a fast rise toward a historic bantamweight legacy, he hasn’t always found success in the UFC.

Mid-2018 saw ‘The Machine’ far from contention at 135 pounds after consecutive defeats to Frankie Saenz and Ricky Simon left him 0-2 in the UFC and 7-4 in professional MMA.

The Georgian standout has since won 12 consecutive fights (one catchweight), including triumphs over Nurmagomedov, O’Malley, Henry Cejudo, Petr Yan, Jose Aldo, and Marlon Moraes.

Dvalishvili’s streak of 11 straight wins at bantamweight is a UFC record.

And the bantamweight champion also holds an overall record across all weight classes, having amassed the most takedowns in UFC history.

Should Dvalishvili emerge victorious over Sean O’Malley again, he’ll likely extend his lead in that category at UFC 316.