Merab Dvalishvili has often walked with a shroud of mystery around him. His social media profiles lack the personal details that the entire world of mixed martial arts wants to know about. Even his interviews try to pry into his personal life, but ‘The Machine’s secretive nature guards his private life pretty well. The fighting community has also wondered about the bantamweight’s ethnicity. After all, he is often seen donning the American and Georgian colors during his appearances in the Octagon.

But today, we’ll dive into the origin stories of the bantamweight number 1 contender. Let’s find out where Dvalishvili’s roots lie.

Where is Merab Dvalishvili from? Ethnicity and early life

Born in 1991 Tbilisi, Georgia (then part of the USSR), Dvalishvili started training in the traditional Georgian martial arts of qartuli chidaoba and khridoli before taking to combat sambo and judo. While the 33-year-old was born a Soviet citizen, he became a Georgian citizen after the USSR disintegrated the same year he was born.

While he is a proud Georgian, ‘The Machine’ moved to the United States when he was just 21 years old, where he trained under the guidance of Ray Longo and Matt Serra. In 2014, Dvalishvili began his career as a mixed martial artist. But misfortune clouded his early career as he lost his debut fight as a professional at Ring of Combat 47.

Soon, Dvalishvili went on to fight for CFFC, and lost his first bout in the promotion. Even though he had a troubled start, ‘The Machine’ kept grinding and secured 6 back-to-back wins at CES MMA and ROC. But his troubles jumped back into action when he debuted in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The Georgian fighter’s first-ever UFC bout resulted in a loss as Frankie Saenz won via a split decision. His second fight in the UFC taught him the dangers of a guillotine choke, as Ricky Simon submitted Dvalishvili at UFC Fight Night 128. And that was when his game changed. Now, ‘The Machine’ boasts a 10-fight winning streak, with victories over strong names like Jose Aldo and Henry Cejudo.

But when the bantamweight number 1 fighter moved to the USA, the fighting community began to wonder if he got American citizenship. Let’s find out if he indeed has a dual citizenship.

Merab Dvalishvili’s nationality: Is he American now?

Merab Dvalishvili moved to the United States at the age of 21 to pursue a career in Mixed Martial Arts and has been living in the country for over a decade. The bantamweight loves both countries dearly as he makes it a point to carry both the American flag and the Georgian flag to show appreciation for his homeland as well as for the country he has adopted and thrived in.

However, despite his long stay in the country, Dvalishvili does not seem to have taken American citizenship and continues to be a citizen of the Republic of Georgia. But the fight fans have one more doubt regarding Dvalishvili. And that is if the Georgian is Muslim.

Which religion does Merab Dvalishvili follow?

Merab Dvalishvili, contrary to many persistent rumors, is not a Muslim. The #1 ranked bantamweight is a devout Eastern Orthodox Christian and has affiliations with the Georgian Orthodox Church, which claims apostolic origins and traces itself back to Saint Andrew, one of Jesus’s twelve original disciples. Dvalishvili seems to be a practicing Christian, having posted pictures of him visiting, lighting candles, and talking with the congregation in a Georgian church.

Dvalishvili has earned himself a chance to fight for the bantamweight championship title against Sean O’Malley. The fight is scheduled to materialize on the 14th of September 2024, the date when the UFC will become the first combat sports organization to host a show at The Sphere, Las Vegas. Needless to say, it is quite a feat for Dvalishvili.

Did you know about Dvalishvili’s nationality and religion? Let us know what you think of the bantamweight phenom in the comments down below.