Former Two-Division UFC Champion Declares Merab Dvalishvili Bantamweight GOAT

Dvalishvili's 12-fight win streak includes some of the biggest names in the bantamweight division.
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Merab Dvalishvili’s latest win at UFC 311 drew some glowing praise from a former opponent and future UFC Hall of Famer.

Henry Cejudo Praises Former Foe Dvalishvili

After claiming the bantamweight belt via unanimous decision against Sean O’Malley at UFC 306 in September, “The Machine” found himself as an underdog heading into his first title defense against the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311.

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Nurmagomedov was riding the momentum of six UFC victories capped off by a win over perennial top bantamweight Cory Sandhagen in his first main event slot in August, but the 29-year-old wasn’t able to match Dvalishvili’s unbelievable pace and the champion retained his title via unanimous decision in the UFC 311 co-main event.

Former Two-Division Champion Names Merab Dvalishvili Bantamweight GOAT after UFC 311
Jan 18, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Merab Dvalishvili (red gloves) fights Umar Nurmagomedov (blue gloves) during UFC 311 at Intuit Dome. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Georgian’s performance has been lauded by fighters and fans alike in the aftermath of the event, and former two-division champion Henry Cejudo was among those to heap praise on Dvalishvili in the days following UFC 311.

“He ended up breaking Georges St-Pierre’s [takedown] record that same night,” Cejudo said to Kamaru Usman on their Pound 4 Pound Podcast. “I mean, everything that he said he was going to do, he pretty much did. This is probably one of the greatest bantamweight fights of all time. It was super competitive, I had it 3-2 for Merab. But man, he’s the real deal. He’s the best in the world for a reason. I tip my hat to Merab, obviously he was my last loss…His nickname says it all, he’s ‘The Machine’.”

"Merab Is The Bantamweight GOAT"

An Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling, Cejudo won and defended both the flyweight and bantamweight titles during his UFC career and announced his retirement following a win over two-time bantamweight king Dominick Cruz in 2020.

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“Triple C” returned in 2023 to challenge Aljamain Sterling for the bantamweight belt but dropped a split decision, and last year Dvalishvili bested Cejudo at UFC 298 to extend his lengthy winning streak and set up his title shot against O’Malley in September.

Former Two-Division Champion Names Merab Dvalishvili Bantamweight GOAT after UFC 311
Feb 17, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Henry Cejudo applies a hold against Merab Dvalishvili during UFC 298 at Honda Center. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Dvalishvili is only two fights into his championship reign, but the names included on the 33-year-old’s current 12-fight win streak are more than enough for Cejudo to declare him the greatest fighter in the history of the bantamweight division.

“I feel like at this point though, I think you’ve gotta slide him in at least pound-for-pound Top 3 dude, like no lie. He should be ahead of [Alex] Pereira, he should probably be ahead of – f*** man, I would even say man, you have to slide him into number two. Look at the winning streak he’s on and who he’s beat…[Petr]Yan, O’Malley, Cejudo, Umar, [Marlon] Moraes, [Jose] Aldo, he’s fought everybody, dude. He’s fought everybody, he’s beat everybody in this division in – you can say in their prime, dude. Merab is the bantamweight GOAT man, at least in my eyes. He only has one title defense, but the people who he has beaten [are]great, man. Great Top 5 résumé dude, maybe in UFC period right now.”

Former Two-Division Champion Names Merab Dvalishvili Bantamweight GOAT after UFC 311
Jan 18, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Merab Dvalishvili (red gloves) celebrates after winning a UFC bantamweight title fight against Umar Nurmagomedov (not pictured) during UFC 311 at Intuit Dome. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

“The Machine” did get bumped up to the #5 spot in the UFC’s official pound-for-pound rankings after UFC 311, and it remains to be seen which bantamweight will get the next opportunity to try and unseat Dvalishvili and halt the Georgian’s incredible winning run.

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Drew Beaupre
DREW BEAUPRE

Drew is an MMA writer that regularly watches regional events in addition to major promotions such as the UFC, PFL, Bellator, and ONE Championship. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023.