UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili may be known for his cardio, but one analyst has pointed to another attribute as being his most important.
Dvalishvili opened his account for 2025 in style this past weekend, co-headlining the very first pay-per-view event of the new year in defense of his 135-pound gold.
The Georgian entered UFC 311 as an underdog, with many backing undefeated challenger Umar Nurmagomedov to become the latest from his team to secure championship glory.
That script wasn’t followed by “The Machine,” however, as he lived up to his moniker by putting a relentless pace on Nurmagomedov through rounds three, four, and five to overcome a strong start from the Russian and get the nod on all three scorecards.
In the aftermath, Dvalishvili’s engine has unsurprisingly been the main talking point and leading point of praise directed at the champ. But one ex-fighter has highlighted a different skill while identifying the Georgian’s greatest strength.
“I attribute a lot of Merab’s success to his — which is a skill in itself, it’s an underappreciated skill in itself — and that is his ability to stay comfortable at all times,” Din Thomas said during an episode of MMA Today on SiriusXM. “Nothing makes him uncomfortable. Like, missing a shot? ‘I don’t care.’ Losing two rounds in the beginning? ‘I don’t care.’
“Nothing makes him panic and he still keeps the same pace. Nothing breaks him,” Thomas continued. “That is a remarkable skill, and I think that’s his biggest strength. It’s not his cardio. I think his ability to just stay focused on task and remain comfortable while he’s doing it is his greatest asset.”
Nurmagomedov has questioned the result in the aftermath. Regardless, he’ll need to bounce back next time out and begin the road toward earning a second title opportunity on MMA’s biggest stage.
For Dvalishvili, on the other hand, Saturday’s result ensured that his reign got past its first hurdle four months on from his crowning at the expense of Sean O’Malley.
“The Machine” is now targeting an incredibly active year, with his next defense potentially coming in the year’s second quarter.
