UFC bantamweight champ Merab Dvalishvili is a fearsome grappler. Undoubtedly the very best at 135lbs and probably the top five in the entire sport of MMA. But, as the saying goes, there are levels to this game. And the Georgian juggernaut knows exactly what his level is. That is why he wisely doesn’t want any smoke with BJJ maestro Gordon Ryan. Far from any smoke, ‘The Machine’ doesn’t even want to roll with Ryan.
“Have you ever grappled Gordon Ryan?” BKFC superstar Mike Perry asked Dvalishvili on his ‘Overdogs’ podcast. “No brother. He’s really really… “ Dvalishvili trailed off. But Perry knew exactly what the bantamweight champ meant, having been on the receiving end of Gordon’s grappling prowess. “Oh yeah, I know, he strangled me with one arm,” the BKFC star interjected.
This prompted ‘The Machine’ to confess what he feels about possibly training with Ryan. “I never grappling with him and actually I don’t even want to try it. He’s so much better than me,” the Georgian champ said.
Ryan, of course, is the Michael Jordan of BJJ. Widely considered the GOAT, the American is a seven-time ADCC champ, a three-time IBJJF champ, as well as a four-time Eddie Bravo Invitational champ. Along with undoubtedly being a better grappler than ‘The Machine’, the white-haired maestro competes at the 222-pound super-heavyweight division and is much, much heavier than Dvalishvili. To be fair, ‘The Machine’ has more important things on his mind than grappling with Ryan. Like who his next opponent will be.
Dana White indicates who will challenge Merab Dvalishvili next
Merab Dvalishvili rag-dolled Sean O’Malley in their historic UFC 306 ‘Sphere’ card to become the new bantamweight champ. But for his first title defense, the champ faced Umar Nurmagomedov, who was undefeated coming into the fight. And that scrap was a pretty hairy affair for ‘The Machine’.
The Dagestani won the first two rounds, but alas, Umar was fighting through adversity as he had broken his hand in the very first round. But, fortunately, Dvalishvili rallied back strongly and won the last three rounds courtesy of his insane cardio and stamina. This is why many fans feel that a rematch between Umar and Dvalishili is in order.
MMA: UFC 311 Dvalishvili vs Nurmagomedov Jan 18, 2025, Inglewood, California, USA Merab Dvalishvili red gloves celebrates after winning a UFC bantamweight title fight against Umar Nurmagomedov not pictured during UFC 311 at Intuit Dome. Inglewood Intuit Dome California USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xGaryxA.xVasquezx 20250118_jhp_sv5_0470
Unfortunately, that is not what the UFC has in mind. Instead, the promotion seems to want to make O’Malley-Dvalishvili 2. At least that is what Dana White’s comments at the UFC Seattle post-fight presser seem to indicate. “They want to fight each other. I think people want to see it,” White said.
This raises the question! Who are these ‘people’ who ‘want to see it’? Clearly, ‘The Machine’s grappling and extraordinary gas tank were just too much for ‘Suga’. And unless the rainbow-haired striker has psychically gotten the spirit of a juggernaut like Islam Makhachev or Khamzat Chimaev in him, it is really hard to see him prevail in the rematch off of his striking alone. What do you think about Merab Dvalishvili’s comments about grappling with Gordon Ryan?
The post “He’s So Much Better” – UFC Champ Merab Dvalishvili Scared of Grappling BJJ Legend appeared first on EssentiallySports.