When it comes to having a unique impact in the realm of combat sports, fighters often choose nicknames for themselves which makes them stand out and describe them the best. It must be noted that most of the well-established fighters in the UFC have astonishing nicknames that brutally describe them and Merab Dvalishvili is no exception. The number one contender for the bantamweight belt chose ‘The Machine’ as his moniker.

Unlike many fighters, who like to stay away from the glam, Merab Dvalishvili is completely opposite as the fighter is a balance between a fighter and an influencer. Regardless, many fans in the MMA community might wonder, why Dvalishvili likes to be called ‘The Machine’. Is there any reference to his upbringing? Let’s find out.

Why is Merab Dvalishvili called ‘The Machine’?

Born on January 10, 1991, in Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, Merab Dvalishvili’s story to the zenith is an inspiring one. The fighter started his MMA journey by making wrestling his base. Dvalishvili was very young when his parents introduced him to the art of Qartuli Chidaoba (Traditional Georgian wrestling). He also trained in Khridoli, Sambo, and Judo for self-defense.

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According to his teammate and UFC lightweight fighter, Matt Frevola, it was he who gave Merab Dvalishvili the nickname ‘Machine’ because he was rag-dolling with everyone in the gym. In his own words, “So Merab is just killing it, you know. Like running through people and I’m like, Merab, we need to get you a name for the American people and I’m like you are a machine bro like you don’t stop, and then it came to me and I was like ‘The Machine.’

He further added, “Merab ‘The Machine’, I planted that seed in the gym. I started calling him, you are a Machine Merab, let’s go ‘The Machine’ and he is the ‘Machine’, you know. He fights that way, he doesn’t stop, he trains that way. The Machine is a perfect nickname.”

When Dvalishvili was 21, he understood that to make it big in the world of MMA, he would have to get himself to the United States. He immigrated to the land of opportunities and trained under Ray Longo and Matt Serra. Regardless, does Dvalishvili live up to his nickname? Let’s find out.

Does Dvalishvili really live up to his nickname?

With a record of 17 victories and 4 defeats, Merab Dvalishvili is one of the best bantamweight fighters on the roster as of time. The fighter has lost only because of his shortcomings. His career under the promotion started with a rough start as he suffered back-to-back losses from Frankie Saenz and Ricky Simon. However, his fate changed as soon as he chose to get back to wrestling.

‘The Machine’ is currently riding a 10-fight winning streak and is next in the line for the bantamweight title. Despite being a wrestler, Dvalishvili has 3 knockout victories and 1 submission victory. Some of the biggest names that he defeated are former featherweight champ Jose Aldo, former bantamweight as well as flyweight champ Henry Cejudo, and former bantamweight champ Petr Yan.

The fighter is currently gearing up to take on Sean O’Malley for the bantamweight title. Will ‘The Machine’ be able to oust O’Malley? State your thoughts in the comments below.