Merab Dvalishvili changed his fighting style early on in his UFC career.
“The Machine” is on a 10-fight winning streak, most recently defeating former two-time world champion Henry Cejudo at UFC 298. Despite Dvalishvili's impressive record, nine of his 10 wins have come by decision.
But Dvalishvili (17-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC) says that was part of the plan. After losing by technical submission to Ricky Simon in his second Octagon appearance in April 2018, Dvalishvili decided to minimize risk and focus on control. He hasn't lost since.
“In my second fight, I fought Ricky Simon, who is very tough,” Dvalishvili said on “Raw Talk with Bradley Martin.” “He was superior in every way. I tried to finish him off, and I tried to throw punches over and over and even try to take him down and knock him out. I tried submissions. Nothing worked, but I was winning the fight. I decided to take him down with a minute left, take him down and finish him on top, and when I lifted and jumped, I hit my head on the floor.
“I lost consciousness and then he grabbed me around the neck and tried to choke me from above. I didn't tap out, I didn't go to sleep. I was still fighting and the referee said, 'Oh, he was blacking out'. They gave him a technical TKO or something. After that I made a decision: to beat my opponent and have fun. I don't chase the finish, I don't take risks. After that I became a smarter fighter. Before I was rough, but now I play with my opponents.”
Dvalishvili is expected to be the next title challenger for UFC bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley, but a date for their bout has yet to be announced.
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