Merab Dvalishvili aims to make UFC history.
After defeating Sean O’Malley to win the undisputed world bantamweight title last year, Dvalishvili upped the ante in 2025 and successfully defended the title against Umar Nurmagomedov, O’Malley in a rematch, and most recently Cory Sandhagen.
“The Machine” will next face Petr Yan in the main event of UFC 323 on Saturday, December 6th, putting his fourth gold medal on the line in 11 months.
With a winning streak dating back to 2018, a series of dominant performances against top talent, and a desire to defend his belt more than any champion in modern times, it’s hard to argue with Dvalishvili being named the 2025 MMA Fighter of the Year.
At least, that’s what play-by-play commentator John Anik thinks.
“Merab is just a demon,” Anik told MMA Fighting. “He’s trying to become the first UFC champion in history to defend his belt four times in one year. That’s insane. He’s the most drug-tested athlete in the sport this year, and he’s as mentally strong as any of them. Honestly, this is one of the best years we’ve ever seen from any fighter. And if he does it, it’s hard to argue that it’s not the best year in UFC history.”
Merab Dvalishvili was able to do what no other UFC fighter has been able to accomplish before
By the time Dvalishvili steps inside the Octagon against Yan, it will have been just eight weeks since his five-round victory over Sandhagen at UFC 320. If he can make it to the top, ‘The Machine’ will add another record to his resume, becoming the first fighter in promotion history to successfully defend the belt four times in one calendar year.
Dvalishvili already holds a number of records inside the Octagon, including the longest winning streak in bantamweight history (14) and the most takedowns in UFC history (117).