At UFC 306 noche, Merab Dvalishvili dethroned Sean O’Malley from his throne atop the bantamweight division. Putting in a dominant showing with relentless takedowns and pressure, the Georgian is now on an 11-fight win streak to go along with his UFC gold. But right after the win, the saga between Merab and ‘Team Khabib’ took another turn! When the question of who was next in line for a title shot came up, he had an interesting response.

At the UFC 306 post-fight press conference, Dvalishvili had dismissed Umar Nurmagomedov’s claims to a title fight despite him being ranked no. 2 in the division. But that wasn’t all! He also shared that, “Umar actually not from Russia, he is from Dagestan but he still represents Russia.” Now, in one more interview, Dvalishvili has revealed the reasons behind his controversial take!

The controversy kicked off when the current UFC Lightweight Champion, Islam Makhachev, fired back in an interview by stating, “Merab lives in America, he has no clue what he’s talking about. Dagestan is a part of Russia.” This was brought up by former UFC fighter, Jake Shields, when he hosted Merab Dvalishvili on his ‘Fight Back’ podcast recently.

The question is: was this a simple misunderstanding, or something deeper? In a clip from the interview shared on Instagram, the newly crowned bantamweight champion responded by stating, “Islam say… we all know that Khabib and Islam they are from Dagestan, Khamzat (Chimaev) is from Chechnya, Movsar Evloev from Ingushetia, all different countries you know, small countries.”

Dvalishvili emphasized that Dagestan, Chechnya, and other nearby regions are culturally distinct. He further added, “They are Muslim people, they have own culture, own tradition…we call them Caucasian people.” According to ‘The Machine’, while they may represent Russia in the Octagon, their origins are more complex.

The Georgian also stated, “But now, so I am not gonna say occupy, but yeah, somehow Russia take over those countries. And they have to represent Russia. And I say, when somebody ask me, ‘Umar is from Russia’, I say ‘No, Umar not from Russia, he’s from Dagestan, he’s Caucasian, you know’. And like, we’re friends and they’re tough people like Georgians.”

So, why all the fuss? Perhaps it comes down to both fighters’ deep pride in their roots. In the bantamweight champion’s own words, “I said, he’s from Dagestan but he just represents Russian flag, I understand but Islam say we are part of the Russia so I understand…” Regardless, over the years, Dagestan has produced some of the best fighters and wrestlers in the world.

UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov is widely considered one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time. And for a reason. He was the longest-reigning UFC Lightweight Champion ever, having held the title from April 2018 to March 2021. With 29 wins and no losses, he retired with an undefeated record. If we turn our eyes to freestyle wrestling, one can not miss the dominance of Buvaisar Saitiev. With 3 Olympic titles in 74kg (1996, 2004, and 2008) and 6 world titles (in 74 and 76 kg), he is seen as one of the best freestyle wrestlers ever.

A combination of several factors contributes to their success in the sport. The impact of geographical and socio-cultural factors can not be ignored in the first place. The region is surrounded by neighboring nations like Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and the Southern Russian republics of Dagestan, Ossetia, Chechnya, Ingushetia, and Abkhazia. These regions have been practicing wrestling not just as a sport, but as a part of their culture.

Being at the crossroads of civilization for centuries, thus constantly having the threat of war, it became a necessity for the Dagestani men to be tough and strong. Having situated at a high altitude in the Caucasus mountains, the fighters of this region get a unique cardio advantage over their competitors, who mostly train at low altitudes or sea level. One more notable reason might be what Ben Askren had pointed out.

“They obviously have a rough and tumble, tough life. And then I think that also that a lot of them, it is a way out. Elite level athletes in that part of the world, from my understanding, are really well compensated compared to what the average person makes and are treated really well so people see it as a way out,” Askren had said in 2021 in an episode of the Lex Fridman podcast. While that might have a bearing, the training and conditioning also keep the Dagestani fighters ahead of their peers.

In contrast to the “lift weight hard bro” type of lifting in the US, the Dagestani wrestling approach is plyometric based, focusing on wrestling movements, posterior chain development, flexibility, and exercises that work the transverse plane of movement and specific lifts. Dagestanis are great counterwrestlers. Their understanding of throwing is better and par terre (ground techniques) are much more developed than most countries. Their blocking with legs and hand-fighting skills are also of the next level.

Keeping in mind all these factors, with the possibility of a clash between Umar Nurmagomedov and Merab Dvalishvili on the horizon, a legendary MMA coach has come out with a crucial piece of advice for the Georgian to add a vital lift to his career.

‘The Machine’ handed a warning to evolve his fighting style or risk losing fans

Merab Dvalishvili has risen to the top of the UFC bantamweight division with a relentless pace and world-class wrestling. After his dominant unanimous decision victory over Sean O’Malley at UFC 306, you’d think the MMA world would be singing his praises. However, renowned coach Firas Zahabi, the mastermind behind UFC legend Georges St-Pierre’s success, has a different take.

What’s missing in ‘The Machine’ and his game plan? In a video on the ‘Tristar Gym’ YouTube channel, Zahabi explained, “Look, I love Merab… I love his personality. I love the craziness…The only one thing you can predict about Merab is that he’s going to shoot that takedown. His cardio is un-matchable.

But despite his respect, Zahabi warned that Dvalishvili’s inability to end fights might turn fans against him. The legendary coach stated, “Imagine you can take down almost everybody you’ve ever fought, and you literally only have one submission. That doesn’t make any sense.” Zahabi isn’t wrong here as according to Tapology, Dvalishvili has got a 91% decision rate in his UFC run. As such, he believes Dvalishvili needs to change his approach, “…because if he doesn’t do it, the fans will get sick of him.”

The question now is, will Merab Dvalishvili make the necessary adjustments, both inside and outside the Octagon, to continue his rise to stardom? Or will his hard-nosed approach—whether in addressing controversial topics or sticking to decision-based victories—limit his potential as a champion? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!