Defending a UFC title for the second time and earning Performance of the Night for that itself is a big deal. But nothing matches the emotion and pride of returning home to celebrate with your own people. Merab Dvalishvili recently had that moment, and the bantamweight champion is soaking in all the love from fans and fellow fighters.
Aljamain Sterling Reacts to Merab Dvalishvili’s Homecoming Video
Dvalishvili recently defended his title for the second time at UFC 316 in Newark, New Jersey. He submitted O’Malley in the third round via a North-South choke after dominating for two rounds.
Although Dvalishvili lives and trains out of Vegas, he never leaves any chance to represent his nation, Georgia, both inside and outside the octagon. After his UFC 316 win, he decided to head back home and celebrate with the fans who have always stood by him since day one.
The champion decided to show his love and appreciation for his fans with an open-top bus parade, where he showed off his UFC title. There were media people along with him on the bus. The bus was surrounded by Georgian fans who were following him on bikes and on foot, clicking pictures, taking videos, and cheering for their champion.
“The Machine” addressed the chaos and excitement to the media by saying, “Don’t worry guys, this is how we do it in Georgia, let’s go!”
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Dvalishvili shared the video on Instagram, and many fans and fighters reacted to it. His longtime friend and former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, who never fails to root for him, also commented on the post: “This is so dope!!!”
With this win, “The Machine” surpassed both Jon Jones and Ilia Topuria in the pound-for-pound rankings and is now sitting at number two behind Islam Makhachev. So, the celebration couldn’t be more fitting.
The Unbreakable Bond Between Sterling and Dvalishvili
Dvalishvili’s friendship with Sterling goes beyond just being typical training partners. Even though they were in the same weight category for years, both fighters have made it clear they won’t fight each other, no matter what.
Even during the UFC 316 octagon interview, Dvalishvili thanked his teammates and offered his gratitude to Sterling, saying, “This guy made me who I am.” Also, in the post-fight press conference, “The Machine” mentioned how “Funkmaster” helped him in training and how he is willing to share his Performance of the Night bonus as a wedding gift to Sterling.
He said, “My friend Aljamain Sterling helped me so much. He don’t have a fight. He’s getting married. He doesn’t really like sparring, but he was sparring with me three times a week.” Dvalishvili also said that Sterling’s striking was “two times better than Sean O’Malley’s” and that “O’Malley got really lucky” during their fight.
“I’m grateful for my friend Aljamain Sterling, and I tell him today, I have to split my bonus and give him half…That will be my wedding gift, you know. But I [could] never pay your gift. You are the man. Thank you, bro,” Dvalishvili added.
Moreover, after his 13-fight win streak and such dominant defense, many have put Dvalishvili on the bantamweight GOAT list. However, the champion humbly names Sterling as his GOAT by saying that “Funkmaster” still beats him in the gym and leaves the discussion up to the fans.