UFC superstar Conor McGregor is fired up to watch the return of Merab Dvalishvili.
UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili is one of the biggest stars in Mixed Martial Arts, amidst a lengthy unbeaten streak during his career. After defeating one of Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s proteges at UFC 311, Dvalishvili was blanketed with praise by Conor McGregor.
Dvalishvili will make his next bantamweight title defense against the man he beat for the belt, Sean O’Malley, in the UFC 316 main event in June. At UFC 306 in September, Dvalishvili outpointed O’Malley by unanimous decision to reel in a new title reign in the bantamweight division.
Dvalishvili’s rise to stardom came after back-to-back losses to begin his UFC tenure. Years later, McGregor is in awe of what Dvalishvili has accomplished after suffering early adversity.
Conor McGregor is a big fan of Merab Dvalishvili
Before his current unbeaten streak, Dvalishvili lost fights to Ricky Simon and Frankie Saenz. The UFC was on the verge of cutting Dvalishvili before he got back in the win column in his next fight against Terrion Ware.
Since his two UFC blemishes, Dvalishvili has become one of the most dominant forces in combat sports, and McGregor is a huge supporter of his success.
In a recent post to X, McGregor gave a public endorsement to UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili for overcoming losses in his first two UFC appearances.
“And now, years on, the reigning, defending UFC World Champion! Magnificent!” McGregor said of Dvalishvili.
“Merab is A Star!”
As of this writing, Dvalishvili hasn’t publicly responded to McGregor’s comments. McGregor hasn’t fought since injuring his leg against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264.
McGregor overcame some adversity early on in his MMA career to become the face of the UFC. A four-second knockout victory was the catalyst behind McGregor’s meteoric rise in combat sports.
Conor McGregor teased MMA retirement amidst Irish political aspirations
McGregor raised eyebrows at a recent Bare Knuckle FC press conference when he hinted at concluding his MMA career to pursue political office in Ireland. McGregor announced his Irish presidential campaign earlier this year following a White House meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.
McGregor was briefly linked to a boxing match with Logan Paul before the UFC matchmakers allegedly squashed negotiations. As of this writing, McGregor remains under contract with the UFC, but isn’t in the promotion’s Drug Free Sport testing pool.
Dvalishvili is one of several UFC stars who have blossomed without McGregor’s spotlight in the promotion. If he defeats O’Malley again at UFC 316, Dvalishvili’s case to move up the pound-for-pound rankings will be a strong one.
