March 2025
February 2025
E. Spencer Kyte unpacks how and why ‘The Machine,’ who never stops, is powered by a nation and driven by something deeper than just the fight.
The second you see Dvalishvili begin his walk to the Octagon, his pride for his nation is evident. With the flag draped across his shoulders and papakha on his head, the energetic standout oozes love for his homeland. When his shirt comes off, you see the famous tattoo etched on his left pectoral: a Georgian flag inked into his skin in the shape of the nation he proudly represents.
“For me, it means everything to represent my country,” begins Dvalishvili, who collected the first successful defense of his bantamweight title at UFC 311 in January. “I started sports when I was 12 or 13 years old because I wanted to represent my country outside of my country, and today, I am representing Georgia. My people and my country give me so much motivation. My country is the reason I am fighting so excitedly. Why I have dedication and make sacrifices. My country drives me to be on top. Be champion. It means everything for me. Right now, I don’t have my own family, but for me, my country and my people are the main (thing) for me. I’m trying to make them proud and happy. This is my biggest thing. It’s everything for me.”
THE GEORGIA KING
Dvalishvili isn’t alone in raising the visibility of his homeland, which sits on the Black Sea and shares borders with Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia. Six native Georgians are currently competing in the UFC. These include brothers Ilia and Aleksandre Topuria, Giga Chikadze, Guram Kutateladze, and Roman Dolidze, along with Dvalishvili. Each literally and figuratively carries their country’s flag with pride.
“I’m so proud of my Georgian brothers,” said Dvalishvili. “They are the best fighters and my Georgian brothers. I’m so proud for these guys and proud we’re representing Georgia. Now everyone can see the Georgian people are top people. We are a small country, but we’re one of the most talented people in the world. I’m happy for them, and I’m proud of them.”
Being from a larger, more prominent nation, it’s easy to forget how impactful and vital representation can be. A generation of young Georgians who have become fans of the UFC are witnessing a host of individuals who grew up where they did, facing the same situations they deal with every day. And these role models have gone on to enjoy tremendous success on the biggest stage in the sport. Some will simply remain fans, but others could be inspired by the collection of elite talents they see competing and thriving at the UFC level.
And if that happens, there might not be a better competitor to look to for motivation than Dvalishvili.
EARNED, NOT GIVEN
The 34-year-old standout claimed the bantamweight title last September at UFC 306, collecting a unanimous decision win over Sean O’Malley in a fight that wasn’t anywhere as close as the final score cards suggest. ‘The Machine’ thoroughly outworked the champion, stifling his offensive and keeping him off balance for large portions of the fight. O’Malley seemingly had no real answers for the challenger’s approach. In claiming the title, Dvalishvili pushed his winning streak to 11. In January, he added a victory over Nurmagomedov to his resume, bringing that number up to an even dozen.
“It was hard to imagine all this, but now, yes, I am a champion,” began Dvalishvili when asked to articulate what this journey has meant for him. “But to be honest, I’m the same guy. I’m even more motivated. Even more hungry. And nothing changed in me. I still have the same goal. The same life like I had before, and I’m only gonna get better. I’m only going to show good work. I am grateful for everything. Like I said, it was hard to even dream one year ago where I am now, but God is good. Same time, I’m glad I earned everything. I didn’t get gifted anything. And I’m grateful for my teammates, my training partners, my friends around me, everything else. I’m happy. I’m grateful, but I’m motivated and even more hungry now.”
Dvalishvili had to navigate a gauntlet of elite contenders to arrive at his championship opportunity. Throughout the journey, Dvalishvili stayed true to his goal, accepting each assignment and handling them with ease. Along the way, he discovered his greatest weapon inside the Octagon.
UFC/Getty
‘THE MACHINE’
His wrestling and ability to take everyone down are the elements that jump off the screen when you watch the bantamweight champion move around the Octagon like a caffeinated Tasmanian Devil. However, Dvalishvili’s greatest weapon is the ungodly conditioning that allows him to crank up the intensity in the latter rounds. The fight with Nurmagomedov perfectly represented this ability. The challenger won the opening two rounds on two of the three scorecards. In the third round, Nurmagomedov began to slow. As it reached the championship rounds, he was visibly tired. Dvalishvili response? Stomp on the gas. Quicken the pace. Distance himself further from the flagging challenger.
“It’s been maybe a little more than one year,” he said when asked when he figured out that he could weaponize his conditioning to suffocate his opponents. “I’m really breaking everybody and I’m feeling that my pressure. My cardio breaks everybody. I realized I don’t have to do anything specific for my cardio. I’m always in good shape. I’m always good conditioning.
“It feels great!” Dvalishvili gushes, his face lighting up when asked what it feels like watching his opponents crumble. “I enjoy the fight. I enjoy the moment. I enjoy when I see that I have broken the guys, especially when I see undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov was broken. He was slowing down and going backwards.”
In the waning moments of the contest, Dvalishvili flexed then kissed each bicep before running Nurmagomedov to the ground one last time. It was showmanship but also a statement moment.
“I gave people a little fun, a little something funny,” he said of the showboating moment. “I enjoy it. I enjoy every single moment. When I’m fighting, that’s my happiest time. My happiest moment. That’s my comfort zone in the Octagon. I can be myself. I can kiss. I can slap the a***.”
STAYING HUMBLE, SEEKING A HASTY RETURN
As much as he has become a character in recent years, showcasing his personality in his fights and outside of the Octagon, he is committed to never forgetting what allowed him to reach this position.
“It makes me confident, but at the same time, I don’t want to forget what brings me here: that I always respect my opponents, treat them like top opponents, and take them seriously,” he explained. “I wanna always do my best, and I’m never cocky, saying or thinking I’m gonna beat my opponent. My next fight should be one of the rematches — Petr Yan or ‘Suga’ Sean O’Malley — but I’m never gonna look past those two guys. I’m never gonna think that I’m better than those guys because I already beat them once. We’ve seen before that rematches don’t always go the same way.”
I have the same mentality,” he adds after a long reflective pause. “Yes, I win those fights, but how did I win? I put a lot of work in. I sacrificed, and when I go, when I fight, I did my best. And I don’t wanna forget that. I was super-motivated, and I have to be the same motivation. That’s what I’m trying to do. I’m even more humble than I was before, so I think I’m gonna have great work because of that.”
WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE CHAMP
Although he just fought in January, Dvalishvili is already starting to get the itch to compete and has the blueprint for how he’d like to see the rest of 2025 line up.
“I wanna come back as soon as possible,” he said excitedly when asked about his return to action. “Realistically, I will come back in June, because it looks like March and April is too soon. And so maybe June would be best for me.
Hopefully, I will be the main event in a rematch with either Petr Yan or Sean O’Malley. I can’t wait to have this fight And at least one more this year, so that would be my third time.”
If things were to line up that way and ‘The Machine’ keeps cruising as he has for the last seven-plus years and dozen fights, he would match his teammate and friend Aljamain Sterling for the most successful title defenses in the division's history. His win streak would run to 14, two shy of the current record held by the great Anderson Silva. However, even if things don’t work out that way, there is no question that Dvalishvili and the rest of his Georgian brothers are doing their country proud on the biggest stage in the sport.
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