Merab Dvalishvili blames medical advice for missing title defense that ended his UFC run

Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC

Merab Dvalishvili is set to step back into competition for the first time since losing the UFC bantamweight title, taking on Henry Cejudo in a rematch at Real American Freestyle 8 this Saturday night.

It’s a return that’s been a long time coming for ‘The Machine’, who hasn’t fought since dropping his belt to Petr Yan last December. And according to Dvalishvili, he probably shouldn’t have even been in the cage that night.

Speaking with Fight Bananas, he opened up about what he was dealing with behind the scenes before walking out to defend his title one last time.

Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Merab Dvalishvili says he ignored medical advice ahead of UFC 323

2025 stood out for the former UFC bantamweight champion. After taking the belt from Sean O’Malley the year before, Dvalishvili went on to defeat Umar Nurmagomedov, O’Malley in a rematch, and Cory Sandhagen.

By defending his title three times, he set a new record by stepping in for a fourth defence within the same year.

The loss didn’t come without controversy. Dvalishvili later revealed that he was already dealing with issues heading into fight week, suggesting his preparation had been far from ideal.

“I like to take challenges. I like to take risks. That’s what I am,” Dvalishvili told Shakiel Mahjouri.

“That’s what got me here. I knew already. During the training camp (for UFC 323), there were some issues. UFC doctors told me that I can pull out. But that’s (not) who I am.

“I do not want to make excuses. I like to deal with challenges. I had worse situations before some fights, and I still made it through and won,” he added.