Dana White is warming up with Merab Dvalishvili.
Dvalishvili made history earlier this month by defeating Cory Sandhagen at UFC 320, becoming the seventh fighter (and the first under 170 pounds) to successfully defend his title three times in a calendar year. While the win likely seals Dvalishvili’s Fighter of the Year honor, “The Machine” is far from done.
Earlier this week, Dana White announced that Dvalishvili had taken a nosedive and would defend his title in a rematch against Petr Yan in the main event of UFC 323. If he wins, Dvalishvili will become the first fighter to defend his belt four times in a year, and it will instantly be talked about as the best single year in MMA history.
But perhaps more impressive than his title defense is how Dvalishvili changed Whyte’s mind about him. Because while White wasn’t previously a fan of the bantamweight champion, he’s now obsessed with “The Machine.”
“I love it,” White told reporters at a recent conference. Contender series When asked about Dvalishvili’s quick movements in the scrum, he said: “Listen, I took a minute to warm up with Merab. He’s so warm right now. I love that mentality. He wants to be the first guy to defend his title multiple times in a year. If you look at what he’s done going into the fight and how he’s proven himself as a fighter and as a world champion, it’s impressive.”
White hasn’t always had the best opinion of Dvalishvili, dating back to when Dvalishvili’s friend Aljamain Sterling was bantamweight champion. White criticized Dvalishvili’s apparent lack of spirituality and some of his decision-making. However, the dominant title reign seems to have cured all ills between the two, especially as Dvalishvili looks to make his mark on history later this year.
UFC 320 will take place on December 6th at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will also feature a flyweight title fight between Alexandre Pantoja and Joshua Bunn.