It seems there are no boundaries for Merab Dvalishvili, also known as 'The Machine', as he carves a victorious path in the UFC. His streak of successes continued at UFC 298, where he secured his tenth win in a row, this time against Henry Cejudo. This victory follows his previous triumphs over Jose Aldo and Petr Yan, all of which were achieved via unanimous decision.
With this winning streak, Dvalishvili has now earned the status of #1 contender, positioning him perfectly for the next title fight. But before he can claim his title, he'll have to wait for the outcome of the upcoming UFC 299 match between defending champion Sean O'Malley and Chito Vera.
Having gone toe-to-toe with him in Anaheim, Cejudo is confident of Dvalishvili's chances against either opponent. As Cejudo put it on his YouTube channel, "He's going to be there in Miami, Chito vs. Sean O'Malley. So, he will be there in person. I think either way, I think the winner or whoever fights Merab. I think it's going to be easy money."
Dvalishvili's ability to take a hit has often been a point of discussion, especially after Cejudo managed to rock him during their fight. However, Dvalishvili's incredible recovery speed and resilience leave no room for a knockout loss.
Former UFC title challenger Marlon Moraes also came close to defeating Dvalishvili at UFC 266. But, the Georgian fighter weathered the storm and emerged victorious. Echoing this sentiment, Cejudo added, "This dude could take a hit and still keep coming forward."
With a commendable endurance and a string of victories under his belt, Dvalishvili is hailed as a potential future world champion. Henry Cejudo even suggested that Dvalishvili could outperform his former opponent, ex-champion Aljamain Sterling.
While Dvalishvili and Sterling have pledged never to face each other in the UFC due to their close friendship, it's intriguing to imagine the outcome of such a high-stakes match. Regardless of hypotheticals, the impressive performance and stamina of Dvalishvili continue to turn heads in the UFC world.
