Merab Dvalishvili is being encouraged by a UFC legend to step back and catch his breath after a high-volume 2025 campaign in the Octagon.
True to his nickname, “The Machine” kept an intense pace this year, capping it off by attempting a historic fourth bantamweight title defense in a single calendar year when he faced Petr Yan in their UFC 323 main event rematch last weekend. However, Dvalishvili’s push for the record came up short, as he suffered a gruelling unanimous decision loss that halted his historic run.
Merab Dvalishvili’s setback also ended his impressive 14-fight win streak, a run marked by dominant victories over nearly every top contender in the UFC bantamweight division.