The UFC has seen a lot of growth in the past few years, with new stars emerging every week. However, what is interesting is the fact that these new stars hail from different regions around the globe. Notably, some of them now have a champion to represent them as well.
Recently, we have seen the likes of Dricus du Plessis and Ilia Topuria put their respective nations on the map after becoming champions earlier this year. Prior to them, their regions hardly had any representatives at the top level of MMA let alone any champions to call their own. Over the years, stars from France, and other previously unrepresented nations have made their mark on the sport.
HE IS KING 👑@TOPURIAILIA IS YOUR NEW FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD 🇪🇸🏆 🇬🇪 #UFC298 pic.twitter.com/eKRjZsP7yI
— UFC (@ufc) February 18, 2024
Notably, the aforementioned title win by Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 shed light on his native Georgia and Spain, two countries that have slowly emerged as hotbeds of MMA talent. In particular, Georgia houses some of the best and most capable upcoming fighters, who are finding their way, not just into the top tiers but also into championship status as well.
The UFC has a growing platoon of Georgian fighters
For the most part, Georgia has emerged as one of the nations with a lot of promising talent hailing from the Eastern European region. In the UFC, we have seen the rise of the aforementioned Ilia Topuria, who has risen through the rankings before eventually becoming champion and one of the biggest stars that the promotion has had in recent history.
In addition to Topuria, we cannot forget his sparring partner Guram Kutateladze who is also looking to make a name for himself in the UFC. Having edged out Mateusz Gamrot in his debut, many expected great from the 32-year-old. However, with 2 losses in his next two fights, many are growing skeptical of his potential. At the same time, we are yet to witness Alexsandre Topuria, Ilia’s older brother who was recently signed to the UFC.
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Other than that, we also have Roman Dolidze who made a very impressive start to life in the UFC. Although his hype train has slowed down in recent times, he can still find his form and make a resurgence. Similarly, Giga Chikadze is another fighter who showed a lot of promise but has slowed down since. With that said, there is one more Georgian fighter who is most likely to be the next Georgian champion after Ilia.
Merab Dvalishvili can be the next Georgian champion in the UFC
For those unaware, Merab Dvalishvili has been tearing up the bantamweight division. Still undefeated and having beaten the likes of Petr Yan, Jose Aldo, and Henry Cejudo, Merab is a championship-quality fighter through and through. Previously, he settled his championship aspirations, allowing close friend and sparring partner Aljamain Sterling to have the limelight. However, with Sean O’Malley becoming champion, Merab is once again interested.
For the most part, Merab has been calling for a title shot ever since O’Malley beat Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292. However, he has had to patiently wait his turn, watching Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera get the shot at UFC 299 as well. All things considered, it is likely that he will be the next title challenger and will have the opportunity later this year to become the second Georgian champion in the UFC.
He is finally calling me out after 7 years … or is he 🤔🤣? Who is Marab ??? pic.twitter.com/aOZpjhwV6s
— Merab “The Machine” Dvalishvili (@MerabDvalishvil) March 15, 2024
Although it is not a given that he will beat O’Malley, many will agree that he possesses all the tools for the job. Whilst O’Malley is a striking sensation, ‘The Machine’ is a wrestling and cardio monster, which has fetched him so many wins. As such, if all goes to plan Merab will finally realize his dream of becoming a UFC champion.