Merab Dvalishvili is without doubt one of the most dominant wrestlers in MMA. He holds the UFC document for many takedowns landed with 92 in 14 fights. Colby Covington, a former school wrestler, is the subsequent closest amongst lively fighters with 70 takedowns landed, seventh most within the promotion’s historical past. Covington has three extra fights within the UFC than Dvalishvili.
In 9 UFC fights which have gone a full three rounds, Dvalishvili has averaged 15.6 takedown makes an attempt. In three profession five-round bouts, that takedown common doubles to 31.3 makes an attempt. By comparability, Georges St-Pierre, the fighter with the second-most takedowns landed at 90, averaged 7.8 makes an attempt in 12 UFC fights that went the gap.
At first look, Dvalishvili’s outlandish takedown statistics would possibly counsel that the UFC males’s bantamweight champion has just one technique — wrestle opponents right down to the mat and maintain them combating off their backs — however there may be far more to the 34-year-old’s method.
It is true that Dvalishvili leans on his robust wrestling background, however a gap in his wrestling-heavy combating type has required him to mix in different areas of his recreation to remain atop the UFC’s most proficient division.
Here is a have a look at the three deceiving statistics to assist put “The Machine’s” elevated fame and dominant championship run into perspective.
58.2% takedown accuracy
Dvalishvili’s takedowns document — one that can solely develop as he continues combating — is well-known, however what is not mentioned is his 158 unsuccessful takedown makes an attempt. That 58.2% takedown accuracy proportion doesn’t rank within the prime 10 in UFC historical past, however an argument could be made that his missed makes an attempt are the driving power behind his wrestling-heavy combating type.
For any fighter to land as many takedowns as Dvalishvili has, opponents should maintain getting up after being placed on the mat. Getting up forces opponents to defend the inevitable: extra takedown makes an attempt. And defending takedowns depletes vitality. So think about how exhausted opponents should really feel when going through a fighter who averages almost six profitable takedowns per struggle.
Former champion Petr Yan is aware of higher than anybody how troublesome it may be to fend off Dvalishvili contained in the Octagon. Yan was on the unsuitable finish of a record-setting 11 takedowns landed by Dvalishvili throughout their bout in March 2023. Dvalishvili’s 49 tried takedowns throughout that five-round struggle was additionally a UFC document.
Within the struggle earlier than that, Dvalishvili tried to take José Aldo to the mat 16 instances however did not land a single one. He nonetheless gained all three rounds.
2,202 complete strikes landed
What will get misplaced in the entire dialogue about Dvalishvili’s wrestling and grappling skill is that his 2,202 complete strikes landed lead the bantamweight division, based on UFC Stats.
Opponents persistently managing to work again to their ft permits the MMA champion to dip into his novice Golden Gloves boxing roots. Whether or not opponents go away themselves open for strikes whereas defending takedown makes an attempt or Dvalishvili units up wrestling alternatives by touchdown strikes, his mixture of quantity putting and relentless wrestling has given every of his previous 12 opponents suits.
Towards Yan, all three judges scored each spherical of their five-round struggle in favor of Dvalishvili. He additionally earned clear sweeps on the decide’s scorecards towards John Dodson, Gustavo Lopez, Brad Katona and Terrion Ware throughout his 12-fight profitable streak.
8.3% end price
The important thing to Dvalishvili main his division in each takedowns and strikes landed is his cardio. The Georgian most likely enters the Octagon anticipating every of his fights to go bell to bell, contemplating certainly one of his 12 UFC wins has come through end (8.3% price).
Dvalishvili’s skill to tug opponents into deep waters within the late rounds by regularly urgent ahead with strikes and capturing for takedowns solely highlights his endurance. When an opponent’s vitality and can to struggle start to fade, that is when Dvalishvili appears to entertain the gang.
We noticed examples of this showmanship in his most up-to-date fights towards Sean O’Malley and Umar Nurmagomedov. After scoring two takedowns in Spherical 1, Dvalishvili put O’Malley on the mat once more within the second spherical and mockingly kissed O’Malley’s again. Just a few days later he posted on social media that did it to “present him who the daddy was of the struggle.” And in his title protection versus Nurmagomedov, Dvalishvili taunted the challenger a number of instances all through the struggle.
Regardless of the well-known disdain MMA followers have for fighters who regularly win by resolution, Dvalishvili’s distinctive mix of tempo, quantity putting, takedowns and showmanship has allowed him to interrupt by way of and change into a fan favourite — even with 11 of his 12 wins contained in the Octagon coming through unanimous resolution.
