SUMMARY
- Merab Dvalishvili had to move from Georgia to the United States in order to fulfill his dream.
- After coming to the United States, Merab started working as a construction worker to make ends meet.
Merab Dvalishvili is a Georgian professional MMA fighter who competes in the UFC. ‘The Machine’ aka, Dvalishvili currently competes in the bantamweight division of the UFC. He is currently ranked #2 in the UFC’s bantamweight rankings and is on a nine-fight win streak. He hasn’t lost in the UFC since 2018 and has defeated some big names along the way.
In March 2023, Dvalishvili fought against Petr Yan and dominated throughout the fight, scoring 11 successful takedowns and winning the fight via unanimous decision. Merab is currently 16-4-0 in his MMA career and is slated to go up against the former double-champ Henry Cejudo next. The bantamweight bout is scheduled at UFC 298 on February 17, 2024.
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A win against the UFC legend could put Merab next in line for a title shot. While The Machine’s life and MMA career seem to be flying right now, that wasn’t always the case. Even in his first two UFC fights, the Georgian fighter suffered losses. But his struggle starts way before those two defeats. For Merab, getting into the UFC itself was a huge struggle in the first place.
Merab Dvalishvili: From a construction worker to making his mark in the UFC
At 21 years of age, Merab Dvalishvili decided to make his way to America in the hopes of breaking into the larger circuits of MMA. His exploits in the sport hadn’t gotten him to the place he dreamed of reaching in Georgia. But his assumptions that making it big in America would be easy were soon dispelled by harsh reality. For him, the struggle started with finding the right gym and coaches.
But the biggest problems he faced were adapting to the culture and language in the US. Apart from these, he had almost no money and not even a good place to start his MMA journey. For ‘The Machine’, every day was a struggle for survival. Merab started working as a construction worker to make ends meet.
Working long and strenuous shifts is what has today made him into a stamina monster. He started training at the Serra Jiu-Jitsu MMA Gym, where he still trains today. Apart from his rigorous training routine in the gym, Merab had to work overtime some days to be able to sustain gym fees and living expenses.
In an interview with Nina-Marie Danielle, Merab spoke about how construction is the reason behind his cardio. And his nickname, ‘The Machine’ speaks for itself. Merab hardly ever gets tired. Being an immigrant in a foreign country working at a construction site to make ends meet, Merab Dvalishvili sure is an inspiration to those who dream of achieving their dreams.
Merab Dvalishvili and Francis Ngannou’s journeys to the top from the bottom are strikingly similar
There is another UFC legend and former champion whose story aligns very much with that of Merab Dvalishvili, and that is Francis Ngannou. With all the hype surrounding Merab on X, fans were quick to point out the striking similarities in their struggle stories. Like Dvalishvili, the Cameroon native moved to France at 26 years of age to pursue a career in boxing.
At just 10, Ngannou was working in sand mines to pay for school supplies and expenses. Risking his life to get smuggled across borders, Ngannou was robbed and thrown in jail in Spain for a couple of months. This did not stop him from pursuing his dream, as he finally reached Paris, where he was homeless in the beginning with no money, no friends, and no place to live.
But even that couldn’t stop him, as he started working odd jobs to earn whatever he could and pay for his expenses. Ngannou soon found his way into the MMA Factory, which kicked off his career in combat sports. After compiling a record of 5-1 in his professional MMA career, he joined the UFC, and the rest is history.
Francis Ngannou went on to become one of the most feared fighters to ever enter the Octagon. Known for his robust and supernatural punching power, Ngannou has left an indelible mark on the UFC. Fighters like Merab and Francis are the reason why a 10-year-old in Cameroon or a teenager in Georgia can dream of overcoming adversities to make dreams come true.