Merab Dvalishvili Height, Weight, Age, Family, Biography

Bio/Wiki
Nickname(s)	The Machine
Profession	Mixed Martial Artist (MMA) Fighter
Physical Stats
Height	5' 6" (168 cm)
Weight	61 Kg (135 lbs)
Body Measurements (approx.)	- Chest: 42 Inches - Waist: 32 Inches - Biceps: 12 Inches
Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	Black
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)
Debut	Amateur- On 14 July 2012 against Orlando Torres Professional- On 24 January 2014 against Darren Mima
Team	Serra-Longo Fight Team (2013-present)
Trainer/Mentor(s)	• Ray Longo • Matt Serra
Rank	Black belt in Judo
Division(s)	• 2014–present- Bantamweight (126-135 lb) • 2016- Featherweight (136-145 lb)
Reach	68 inches (173 cm)
Fighting out of	Long Island, New York, USA
Records	• Most unanimous decision wins in UFC Bantamweight division (10) • Second highest decision-wins-per-win percentage in UFC(91.7%) • Most decision wins in UFC Bantamweight division (10) • Longest win streak in UFC Bantamweight division (11) • Most takedowns landed in UFC (92) • Most takedowns landed in UFC Bantamweight division (79) • Most takedowns attempted in a bout in UFC history (49) vs. Petr Yan • Most total strikes landed in UFC Bantamweight division (2092) • Most control time in UFC Bantamweight division (1:16:27)
Awards, Titles, Championships	• 14 September 2024: UFC Bantamweight Championship • 25 September 2021: Performance of the Night (vs Marlon Moraes) • 21 April 2018: Fight of the Night (vs Ricky Simon) • 18 January 2025: Fight of the Night (vs Umar Nurmagomedov) • Ranked #6 Fighter of the Year in 2024 by UFC.com
Personal Life
Date of Birth	10 January 1991 (Thursday)
Age (as of 2024)	34 Years
Birthplace	Vani village, Tbilisi, Georgia (then-Soviet USSR)
Zodiac sign	Capricorn
Nationalities	• Georgian • American
Hometown	Tbilisi, Georgia
Educational Qualification	Degree in physical education
Religion	Eastern Orthodox Christianity
Ethnicity	Caucasian
Food Habit	Non-vegetarian
Hobbies	• Swimming • Horseriding
Tattoo	Flag of Georgia on left chest
Social Media	• Instagram • Facebook • YouTube • Twitter • Official Website • TikTok
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Unmarried
Family
Parents	Father- Amiran Dvalishvili Mother- Darejan Dvalishvili
Style Quotient
Car Collection	• Ferrari Roma • McLaren 720S Spider
Money Factor
Salary/Income (approx.)	$1.5 million (as of 2024)
Net Worth (approx.)	$1.8 million (as of 2024)

Some Lesser Known Facts About Merab Dvalishvili

• Merab Dvalishvili was born in the Soviet USSR, but it dissolved in 1991 after which he grew up in an independent Georgia nation.
  

  A childhood photo of Merab Dvalishvili

• He used to have a lot of street fights as a child but at the age of 12-13, he started training in qartuli chidaoba (traditional wrestling), khridoli (traditional fighting), sambo, and judo. It helped him in self-defence.
  

  Merab Dvalishvili when he started training judo at a young age

• When he was 21, he moved to the USA where he started working as a construction worker.
  

  Merab Dvalishvili when he moved to the USA

• He also started training in mixed martial arts (MMA) to pursue a career as a MMA fighter.
  

  Merab Dvalishvili when he started training MMA

• In 2012, he started fighting in amateur fights, before turning professional in 2014.

• Between 2014 and 2017, he fought in different professional MMA promotions such as Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFCC) and Ring of Combat (ROC).
  

  Merab Dvalishvili after his first professional MMA fight

• He fought Raufeon Stots in the ROC 59 on 2 June 2017 and defeated him via a spinning back fist. This fight aired on an episode of ‘Dana White: Lookin’ for a Fight’ after which he got a UFC contract.

• On 9 December 2017, he made his UFC debut against Frankie Saenz in UFC Fight Night 123 but lost it.
  

  Merab Dvalishvili during his first UFC fight against Frankie Saenz (right)

• In the 2019 World Sambo Championships held in South Korea, he won the silver medal after losing the final bout against Russia’s Stepan Kobenov in the 68 kg weight category.
  

  Merab Dvalishvili after winning the silver medal in the 2019 World Sambo Championships

• During his fight with Ricky Simon on 21 April 2018, they both landed on their heads during an attack. He couldn’t move his head for 2 months after that and felt numbness and tinginess in his hands for 6 months after the fight.

• In 2019, he broke his toe and later a nerve got stuck in his right elbow. A surgery was done later but he still couldn’t open it fully as there were still some broken bone fragments in it.
  

  Merab Dvalishvili after his elbow surgery

• In June 2024, he won the gold medal at the U.S. National Combat Sambo Tournament held in Texas.
  

  Merab Dvalishvili (middle) after winning the gold medal in the U.S. National Combat Sambo Tournament

• In the UFC 306 on 14 September 2024, he defeated Sean O’Malley and became the UFC Bantamweight Championship for the first time. He also became the first Georgian-born champion in UFC history.
  

  Merab Dvalishvili with the UFC Bantamweight division belt

• On 18 January 2025, he faced Umar Nurmagomedov for his first title defence and won the fight by unanimous decision.

• He is known for his good cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance.

• After defeating Henry Cejudo on 17 February 2024, he began showboating during his fights. Against Sean O’Malley, he kissed him on the head near the end of the round.

• He is a good friend of the Meta CEO and billionaire Mark Zuckerburg who has often attended his fights. They have even trained together at Zuckerburg’s home.
  

  Merab Dvalishvili with Mark Zuckerburg (left)

• After becoming the UFC Bantamweight Champion in UFC 306 in September 2024, the government of Georgia awarded him $1 million Georgian Lari which he pledged to donate to developing grappling in his region.

• He often eats khinkali, a dumpling in Georgian cuisine, before fights. But during the fight before Sean O’Malley in September 2024, he ate yoghurt which caused him stomach pain, which increased as O’Malley kicked him on his body.

• His fighting strategy mainly includes making his rivals tired in the initial rounds after which he takes over the fight.

• He also sells his merchandise in partnership with Takedown on his official website.
  

  Merab Dvalishvili merchandise on his official website

• He is proud of his Georgian culture and if often clicked wearing the Georgian hat.
  

  Merab Dvalishvili wearing a Georgian hat during a weighing session before a fight

• He claimed in a 2024 interview that he was looking for a girlfriend or wife, but couldn’t find anyone to get married to.