According to one prominent figure in MMA, it would be disastrous for UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili’s career if he doesn’t start recording finishes.
Dvalishvili currently sits on the throne at 135 pounds following his biggest win to date earlier this month. In the headlining act of the UFC 306 (Noche UFC) pay-per-view at the Sphere, the Georgian unseated Sean O’Malley.
While predictions had varied in the lead-up, Dvalishvili enjoyed dominance throughout the five-round main event in Las Vegas, capturing the crown by way of unanimous decision.
The result marked “The Machine’s” 11th straight victory under the UFC banner. But the ongoing run has seen Dvalishvili record just one finish — a comeback knockout of Marlon Moraes in 2021.
Aside from that firefight, the champ used his renowned cardio, pace, and grappling prowess to outlast opponents. But while that got him to the title dance, one notable coach doesn’t think it can continue now that he’s holding gold…
Coach Zahabi Sees Major Issue With UFC Champ Dvalishvili’s Style
During a video recently uploaded to the Tristar Gym YouTube channel, coach Firas Zahabi reflected on Dvalishvili’s title win inside the Sphere and assessed the style that has seen him reach the top.
Although “The Machine’s” approach has proved mightily affective when it comes to having his hand raised inside the Octagon, the Canadian trainer doesn’t think it’s sustainable and will soon lead to significant fan backlash.
“On the ground, guys, I’ll tell you something, Merab never finishes,” Zahabi said. “Look, I love Merab…I love his personality. I love the craziness, I love the fact that in the beginning of round one, Merab is yelling at O’Malley’s corner. … He’s a very charming, lovable character. … The only one thing you can predict about Merab is that he’s going to shoot that takedown. His cardio is unmatchable. … The good thing about Merab, his cardio is amazing. His personality is amazing. The bad thing about Merab, he doesn’t finish — he doesn’t even get close to a finish.
“His finishing record is abysmal, I’ve got to be honest,” Zahabi continued. “I’m telling you guys, I love the guy, he’s a world champion. I think he’s awesome. However, his finishing rate — imagine you can take down almost everybody you’ve ever fought, and you literally only have one submission. That doesn’t make any sense. … He needs to have in-depth, super-deep courses on how to finish — submission, ground-and-pound — he has to change his style. … If he doesn’t do it, the fans will get sick of him. … They’ll get sick of him running around the ring and just taking people down. They’re going to get sick of that. He has to entertain the crowd. … If he doesn’t, it could be disastrous to his career.”
Those remarks likely won’t bother Dvalishvili for now, as he’s continuing his celebrations after achieving his championship ambitions in the sport’s leading promotion.
But as his reign gets underway, perhaps the Georgian will look to show an increased killer instinct and dispatch challengers inside the distance.
