Ahead of his upcoming rematch with Sean O`Malley at UFC 316, where he will defend his bantamweight title for the second time, surprising details have emerged about the significant health issues Merab Dvalishvili faced before his first defense against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311.
Following his dominant title-winning performance against O`Malley the previous September, Dvalishvili made a quick turnaround to fight again. The promotion booked him against the highly-touted rising star, Umar Nurmagomedov. At his best, Dvalishvili still faced a tough challenge, as Nurmagomedov`s grappling pedigree was seen as potentially his best chance to dethrone the champion.
Despite being the underdog in that matchup, Dvalishvili secured one of his most impressive wins to date, successfully defending his title against Nurmagomedov. He achieved this remarkable victory while operating at significantly less than 100 percent health.
Merab`s head coach, John Wood, shed light on the severity of the situation. “I think that Umar was going to be the toughest fight for Merab at the time,” Wood stated. He added, “Merab was half-dead for that fight. You don’t understand, he had an open wound, he had a staph infection, he was on all kinds of antibiotics.”
Wood admitted that, if the decision had been solely his, he would likely have pulled Dvalishvili out of the fight entirely.
This revelation highlights Dvalishvili`s performance under an even brighter light, showcasing his ability to push through intense physical adversity and ultimately outwork Nurmagomedov in the later rounds.
While Dvalishvili`s incredible conditioning and relentless pace are usually his key weapons, his coach was understandably concerned, especially given that the champion was receiving treatment for a staph infection. Studies have shown that antibiotics can negatively impact athletic performance, yet Wood was stunned by Dvalishvili`s sheer resolve to stay on schedule for the Nurmagomedov fight.
Wood recounted the difficult lead-up: “It was that bad but that dude that could barely walk but then he goes spar 10 rounds and looks phenomenal. So I knew he could do it. So I knew that in the room, I was like we’re going to win this fight but in the back of my head, I was like Jesus, he’s so banged up.”
Despite his compromised physical state, Dvalishvili still delivered a signature high-pressure performance, ultimately earning a unanimous decision victory.
After the bout, Nurmagomedov spoke about his own injuries, particularly a broken hand sustained during the first round. While Wood expresses sympathy for fighters dealing with injuries, he found it hard to feel overly sorry for Nurmagomedov, especially knowing the difficulties Merab faced leading up to the fight.
Wood noted, “The fact that Umar’s like ‘Oh, I’ve got a busted hand.’ You guys asked for the fight. We wanted to fight later on. We said we’d fight you. You wanted to take time off for Ramadan. So they pushed for it and took the fight. Then it’s ‘oh we’ve got this [injury], we’ve got that.’ Whatever, it’s the same thing. Everybody is always going to have those excuses.”
A similar situation arose after Dvalishvili`s initial title win against O’Malley, where Merab later revealed he was dealing with a hip injury that significantly hampered his grappling training camp. O`Malley has since undergone surgery and has promised a vastly different performance in their upcoming rematch.
Regardless of the outcome of the rematch, Wood is certain that Merab Dvalishvili will never offer excuses for a loss.
“I will tell you this, if Merab ever loses that belt, you will not hear excuses from him,” Wood stated. He emphasized Merab`s unique fighting style. “The way that Merab fights, what he brings to the table is just different. People do not understand it.” He added that despite the difficulty, he had no doubt Merab would win the fight against Nurmagomedov.
Wood finds the upcoming rematch intriguing precisely because Sean O`Malley has already experienced Merab`s relentless pressure. He predicts that if the fight unfolds similarly to the first encounter, it will be even more psychologically defeating for O`Malley this time.
Wood concluded that whether injured, sick, or healthy, Merab Dvalishvili is always ready to fight and would be the most active champion in the UFC if given the opportunity. He simply loves to compete and wants to fight as often as possible.
