Merab Dvalishvili`s recent revelation about the most formidable opponent he has faced throughout his career has surprised many.
The Georgian fighter, Dvalishvili, established himself as a dominant force by consistently battling top-tier champions before securing his own title last year at UFC 306 against Sean O’Malley.
His reign as champion has seen two successful defenses this year: a hard-fought decision victory over Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 and a third-round submission win in a rematch with O’Malley at UFC 316.
With some fellow champions already hailing him as the greatest bantamweight in history, Dvalishvili is set to extend his impressive 14-fight winning streak this Saturday against formidable contender Cory Sandhagen in the co-main event of UFC 320.
As he prepares for his upcoming title defense, Dvalishvili reflected on his extensive 24-fight career, making the intriguing admission that his most challenging encounter did not occur within the confines of the UFC Octagon.
Merab Dvalishvili Names Raufeon Stots, Not UFC Rivals, as His Toughest Opponent
Ironically, the fight Dvalishvili identifies as his toughest ultimately proved to be one of his quickest finishes.
Even after dropping the first two rounds to Umar Nurmagomedov in their championship bout earlier this year, Dvalishvili maintains that Nurmagomedov was not his most difficult foe.
“That wasn’t my toughest fight,” Dvalishvili stated regarding Nurmagomedov during an interview on The W.A.D.E. Concept.
He elaborated, “He’s certainly not the most challenging opponent I’ve faced.”
Instead, Dvalishvili declared, “No, my toughest fight was actually against Raufeon Stots.”
Back in 2017, Dvalishvili famously secured a UFC contract after knocking out Raufeon Stots in just 15 seconds with a spinning backfist on `Dana White’s Looking For A Fight`.
Significantly, Stots, who was the primary talent Dana White had come to scout, remained undefeated for nearly six years after that loss, eventually rising to become Bellator’s interim bantamweight champion in 2022.
Dvalishvili reminisced about the bout with Stots, explaining, “That was during my Ring of Combat belt defense in Atlantic City, New Jersey.”
He continued, “This guy later became a Bellator champion, and it was meant to be my toughest opponent. Dana White specifically came to see him; he was supposed to get signed…”
“It truly was my toughest fight conceptually, even though I won in the easiest possible manner,” Dvalishvili concluded.
Marlon Moraes`s Near Finish of Merab Dvalishvili in 2021
Dvalishvili’s only UFC losses occurred in his first two Octagon appearances against Frankie Saenz and Ricky Simon in 2017 and 2018, respectively, and he has been undefeated since.
While victories against fighters like Marlon Moraes and Umar Nurmagomedov were hard-fought, with both opponents having moments of significant advantage, Dvalishvili still prevailed.
In a thrilling back-and-forth contest in 2021, Moraes came very close to knocking Dvalishvili out. However, Dvalishvili demonstrated remarkable resilience, ultimately overcoming the former WSOF champion with a TKO late in the second round.
This bout marked Dvalishvili’s last knockout victory to date.
