Merab Dvalishvili is aiming for UFC history.
After defeating Sean O’Malley to claim the undisputed bantamweight world championship last year, Dvalishvili upped the ante in 2025, successfully defending his title against Umar Nurmagomedov, O’Malley in a rematch, and most recently, Cory Sandhagen.
Next, ‘The Machine’ will put his gold up for grabs for the fourth time in 11 months when he meets Petr Yan in the UFC 323 main event on Saturday, December 6.
With a win streak dating back to 2018, a slew of dominant performances against top-tier talent, and a willingness to defend his belt more than any other modern champion, it’s hard to argue against Dvalishvili being 2025’s MMA Fighter of the Year.