Merab Dvalishvili could be in the pound-for-pound mix after a dominant performance at UFC 316.
While he may have had to wait a while for his opportunity last year, Dvalishvili is certainly making the most of his chance to build a strong legacy on the bantamweight throne.
After opening his account with a successful defense against Umar Nurmagomedov in January, Dvalishvili submitted Sean O’Malley at UFC 316 in their headlining rematch.
The Georgian standout is now one victory away from tying Aljamain Sterling’s record for most consecutive title defenses in the UFC at 135 pounds, making Dvalishvili a contender in the division’s GOAT debate.
With that in mind, another of the all-time top names in the weight class has made the case for ‘The Machine’ to get a big P4P boost.
Henry Cejudo says Merab Dvalishvili is one win away from the pound-for-pound crown
Watching on as Dvalishvili once again displayed his superiority over the bantamweight field was one of the division’s former champions and current contenders, Henry Cejudo.
‘Triple C’ is well aware of the Georgian’s skills, having shared the Octagon with the champ himself. Dvalishvili dominated Cejudo at UFC 298 in February 2024 to earn his title shot.
Having seen his former opponent extend his winning streak to 13 straight fights since, Cejudo believes Dvalishvili is one more victory away from earning the top P4P spot over Islam Makhachev and Jon Jones.
“If he beats Cory Sandhagen in this fight, Yes,” Cejudo said on his Pound 4 Pound podcast. “I’m gonna put him (as) pound-for-pound the best fighter in the world, dude, one hundred percent.
“Think about it…you can’t deny it, Kamaru (Usman)! Especially if he gets four fights this year, bro. I’m a hater but I also recognize (greatness),” Cejudo added.
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Merab Dvalishvili is currently fourth in the UFC pound-for-pound rankings
Ahead of Tuesday’s rankings update, Dvalishvili currently finds himself sitting at No. 4 in the UFC’s official pound-for-pound rankings.
Makhachev’s submission of Renato Moicano at UFC 311 cemented his place atop the leaderboard over Jones, even making UFC president Dana White complete a U-turn to publicly support the Dagestani in the discussion.
Occupying the final spot inside the top three, meanwhile, is Dvalishvili’s fellow countryman Ilia Topuria.
| Ranking | Name | Champion | Division |
| 1 | Islam Makhachev | Yes | Lightweight |
| 2 | Jon Jones | Yes | Heavyweight |
| 3 | Ilia Topuria | No | Featherweight |
| 4 | Merab Dvalishvili | Yes | Bantamweight |
| 5 | Dricus du Plessis | Yes | Middleweight |
| 6 | Magomed Ankalaev | Yes | Light Heavyweight |
| 7 | Alexander Volkanovski | Yes | Featherweight |
| 8 | Alex Pereira | No | Light Heavyweight |
| 9 | Jack Della Maddalena | Yes | Welterweight |
| 10 | Alexandre Pantoja | Yes | Flyweight |
| 11 | Tom Aspinall | Yes | Heavyweight |
| 12 | Max Holloway | No | Featherweight/Lightweight |
| 13 | Belal Muhammad | No | Welterweight |
| 14 | Sean O’Malley | No | Bantamweight |
| 15 | Charles Oliveira | No | Lightweight |
Topuria could have something to say about Cejudo’s assessment should he emerge victorious next time out. After vacating the featherweight crown, ‘El Matador’ will battle Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title in the main event of UFC 317 on June 28.
Dricus du Plessis will also have the chance to push further into the top five when he defends the middleweight belt against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 in August.