UPDATE: UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili demonstrated his relentless training regimen just hours before his title defense against Cory Sandhagen at UFC 320 last Saturday, October 14, 2023. Dvalishvili sparred for a grueling five rounds in Las Vegas, approximately nine hours before his fight at the T-Mobile Arena.
In a commanding performance, Dvalishvili (21-4) defeated Sandhagen (18-5) by decision, marking his second five-round bout of the day. Teammate and UFC light heavyweight Khalil Rountree Jr. confirmed on the Jaxxon Podcast that Dvalishvili’s unique fight day preparation is a long-standing practice.
“This isn’t new, it’s funny that Khalil is the one getting it out there,” said John Wood, head coach at Syndicate MMA, in an interview with ESPN. “Merab has done this ever since I started training him [in 2020]. Every fight day, he goes in and spars for five rounds.”
Wood elaborated that Dvalishvili often pushes to spar for six rounds, but the coach had to intervene to keep things manageable. The sparring sessions are conducted at a modified intensity, around 70 percent, focusing on hard, technical exchanges.
Wood noted, “The way Merab does it, he’s a savage. It used to make me nervous as s— doing this on fight day, until I got to know it’s just part of his process.”
In addition to his morning sparring, Dvalishvili also participates in a warm-up at the arena, often engaging in another three to five rounds with longtime teammate and former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling just before stepping into the octagon.
“The crazier thing is the five rounds right before he fights,” Wood added. “Aljamain brings full head gear, and it’s a full go in the locker room. Obviously, Aljo isn’t there to hurt him, and it’s reached a point where I feel bad for Aljo, because Merab is just beating him up back there.”
Dvalishvili’s extraordinary conditioning was evident in his latest fight, where he executed a remarkable 20 takedowns, raising his career total to 117—the highest in UFC history. Following this impressive victory, he has already expressed interest in scheduling his next title defense for December.
As Dvalishvili continues to push the boundaries of training and performance, fans and analysts alike are eager to see what he will achieve next in the octagon.
