The quote from renowned author Hisham Matar, “A man leaves his home for a better life and finds himself a stranger in every land,” perfectly captures the life of newly crowned bantamweight king Merab Dvalishvili. Fourteen years ago, he chose to migrate to America from his homeland in search of a better life. Last week, his perseverance paid off when he dethroned Sean O’Malley at the “one-and-done” UFC 306. Since then, ‘The Machine’ has been busy trolling O’Malley on social media while flaunting his belt.

However, Dvalishvili has now realized that his hard work is not the only reason for winning the bantamweight title, UFC head honcho Dana White and his team also played a key role in his success, a fact he recently spoke about on social media.

Merab Dvalishvili sends a heartfelt message to Dana White and company

Like many other migrants, Merab Dvalishvili came to the ‘land of opportunity’ with a dream in his eyes to become an MMA fighter. He never imagined that one day he would rule the bantamweight division of the UFC. In a recent X post, he embraced this reality, writing, “It’s been a week since I became the champion. I have been fighting for this goal for the last 14 years, and it seemed so far, difficult and impossible that I still can’t believe it.”

‘The Machine’ further recounted the memory of when he first met Dana White at the Ring of Combat during his ROC title defense, stating, “I want to thank Dana White because he didn’t find me that amazing night at Ring of Combat, I might not have been a part of @ufc and would have continued my path in another organization.” Merab Dvalishvili also acknowledged the contributions of the promotion’s official Hunter Campbell and UFC’s matchmakers, Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard, to Dvalishvili’s success.

No doubt, Merab Dvalishvili’s success story is one of the best in the MMA world, but his past is no less than something that could inspire Hollywood to make a biopic. Let’s delve into ‘The Machine’s’ struggles and life journey.

Merab Dvalishvili looks back on his struggles

Merab Dvalishvili, alongside his success story, carries a motivational tale that traces back to 2014 when he began his MMA career under the guidance of Ray Longo and Matt Serra with the dream of becoming a champion. However, that destination felt far away, at that time. To meet his basic needs, he started working as a construction worker near his gym. In a candid interview, ‘The Machine’ reminisced, “Every day I was asking myself question, especially when I was at the work and working in the sun or in the snow. But when I was going home and I was still going to practice, I was still working hard.”

While looking back, Dvalishvili recalls losing his first two fights consecutively in the UFC, saying, “challenges in my life. So many challenge man, so many hard ways. Every day, I was asking myself, ‘Should I continue or should I stop?’ Because maybe this is not for me.” However, soon after those disastrous losses, ‘The Machine’ bounced back in 2018 and has remained undefeated since.

What are your thoughts on Merab Dvalishvili’s success in MMA? Do you think he has received the recognition he deserves or is he still underrated? Drop your opinion below.