Conor McGregor, the former two-division UFC champion, recently applauded Merab Dvalishvili for becoming a title holder after setbacks. “The Machine” responded in kind with a three-word message.
Dvalishvili became the Bantamweight champion at UFC 306, where he defeated “Suga” Sean O’Malley. He defended the title at UFC 311, against Umar Nurmagomedov. Up next for him is a rematch against O’Malley.
Merab Dvalishvili’s response to Conor McGregor
A clip of Merab Dvalishvili’s last loss inside the Octagon recently resurfaced on X, formerly Twitter. The video showed Dvalishvili going out valiantly in his fight against Ricky Simon at UFC Atlantic City in 2018.
McGregor retweeted the post and praised Dvalishvili, writing: “And now, years on, the reigning, defending UFC World Champion! Magnificent! Merab is A Star!”
Dvalishvili responded with a three-word message, replying: “Much love Conor.” He also added an Irish flag and strong arm emoji in the message.
Much love Conor 🦾🇮🇪
— Merab “The Machine” Dvalishvili (@MerabDvalishvil) April 23, 2025
Incidentally, Dvalishvili’s last opponent, Umar Nurmagomedov, is the cousin of Khabib, who is McGregor’s fiercest rival. They fought at UFC 229, where McGregor lost via fourth-round submission. More than the fight, the post-fight melee between the duo and their attracted notoriety, shot the Russian fighter to superstardom.
McGregor has not fought since his unfortunate leg break in the fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. “The Notorious” coached in The Ultimate Fighter 31 against Michael Chandler, but the eventual fight between the two never materialized.
They were supposed to headline UFC 303, but McGregor pulled out due to a toe injury, and Chandler has fought twice since then, losing both, most recently at UFC 314. Following Chandler’s recent loss to Paddy Pimblett, McGregor expressed interest in fighting “Iron”.
Merab Dvalishvili Once Compared Himself to Conor McGregor
Preluding his first bantamweight title defense at UFC 311, Merab Dvalishvili was interviewed by Megan Olivi for ESPN MMA. In the interview, Dvalishvili compared his newfound fame after becoming a champion to that of Conor McGregor and other superstars of combat sports.
“I feel like Conor McGregor. A lot of drama comes. You know, I feel like even Jon Jones. And like Mike Tyson used to get drama before. I’m like, where is this coming from. I’m the same guy, training the same things,” Dvalishvili said.
Dvalishvili had already become popular in the US with his hilarious skits, but it’s nothing like the fame he has in his native Georgia, where he is like a national hero. The 34-year-old even remarked that he could become the president of Georgia if he wishes to, but doesn’t want to be involved in politics.
“The Machine” went on to defeat Umar Nurmagomedov via. unanimous decision at UFC 311. His signature cardio was on full display during the fight as Dvalishvili won the final three rounds on all three judges’ scorecard, after losing the first two in two of the three.