Merab Dvalishvili is no stranger to worrying Dana White with his antics, and that does not look likely to change ahead of UFC 320.
Dvalishvili will soon be making the walk to the Octagon again, as he gears up to defend the bantamweight title for the third time since winning it one year ago.
After Dvalishvili got the better of Umar Nurmagomedov and added a second victory over Sean O’Malley to his record, the Georgian star will next meet the challenge of Cory Sandhagen.
‘The Machine’ has been putting in the work in the lead-up to their UFC 320 clash on October 4, and a visit from UFC flyweight GOAT Demetrious Johnson recently opened the doors into Dvalishvili’s training.
For those wondering if the champ is being more careful after some past pre-fight health scares…no, no he is not.
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Merab Dvalishvili and Raul Rosas Jr. have bloody grappling battle during UFC 320 camp
From a video showing Dvalishvili jumping head first into a frozen lake to a clip of his brave cliff-edging dancing, the UFC champ is somewhat of a risk-taker. And that translates into his MMA training, with ‘The Machine’ no stranger to going hard on the mats.
While that has worried fans and the promotion in the past, Dvalishvili evidently does not plan to let up. With ‘Mighty Mouse’ watching on, the Georgian recently went at it in wrestling practice at 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu Las Vegas with the UFC’s youngest-ever fighter, Raul Rosas Jr.
The two bantamweights did not hold back, as Rosas Jr. was left with a bloodied nose from the back-and-forth battle.
“It’s your nose?” Johnson asked when seeing blood on the UFC prospect. “Dude, you were supposed to be going light, man.
“You’ve gotta make it to the fight, what the f— was all that?”
Speaking to the camera in a cut-away segment, Johnson made it clear what he thought of the pair’s approach.
“It looked like him and Merab went a little bit too hard,” Johnson said.
“I am not the biggest fan of that. Because they’ve both got to make it to the fight; that’s where they make the money.”
Rosas Jr. ultimately didn’t make it to his most recent booking, with a rib injury forcing him out of a planned co-main event against Rob Font at Noche UFC.
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Dana White was ‘furious’ with Merab Dvalishvili posting cut weeks out from Sean O’Malley fight
Johnson’s YouTube video proves that Dvalishvili has not altered his all-out approach in training after a pre-fight scare just over 12 months ago.
Ahead of Dvalishvili’s first win over Sean O’Malley in 2024, the Georgian sustained a brutal cut during wrestling practice, leaving many fans worried about the status of the UFC’s main event for the Sphere.
White was enraged when Dvalishvili posted the cut online, describing the then-future champ as “so stupid” during a Contender Series press conference.
“The whole world knows about Merab’s cut, he posted it. Our guys are so dumb it’s next level unbelievable,” White said.
“All the stuff that I talk about boxing what I will give boxing is when something happens in a camp, let me tell you what, it does not leak. Our guys’ camp can’t wait to throw it up on social media.
“It’s a small cut, it’s not a big deal but obviously needed to be posted,” White continued. “And why the f— would you want (O’Malley) to know that? It is next-level stupid. Some of these guys are so stupid it’s mind-boggling, it’s unbelievable.”
Dvalishvili did not help his case when he later uploaded a video of him cutting off his own stitches with shears days out from UFC 306.