Merab Dvalishvili took the long road to becoming a UFC champion.
Once upon a time, ‘The Machine’ was seen as one of the least exciting fighters in the bantamweight division. Today, he’s perhaps the greatest fighter the weight class has ever seen.
On December 6, he’ll look to extend his history-making run when he puts his gold on the line for a fourth time in 2025 against No. 2 ranked contender Petr Yan at UFC 323 in Las Vegas.
During a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Dvalishvili looked back at his long and winding road to the 135-pound throne, recounting how, at one time, the UFC didn’t see him as championship material.