Athletes
Merab Dvalishvili | The Character
A Red Jacket Started It All, And From There It Has Been Nothing But Fun Times For Merab Dvalishvili
The Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, has been home to many unforgettable moments and fights. But there’s one moment in recent years that has left people talking and even earned a photo on the wall in the backstage of the arena.
That moment was two years ago, when Merab Dvalishvili went into the Octagon after his teammate Aljamain Sterling defended his belt against Henry Cejudo. There was a face off going down between Sterling and his future opponent Sean O’Malley, who sported a red jacket. As O’Malley went to take off the jacket, thinking he was handing it to security, Dvalishvili grabbed the jacket and started wearing it as his own. The clip went viral, and two years later, as Dvalishvili is set to face O’Malley in the building where he stole the jacket, it’s still being talked about.
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Ever since then, Dvalishvili has really started to let his personality shine, whether in press conferences or on social media. It has helped elevate his fan base to a whole new level and has even reached audiences that many were surprised by.
Last February, Dvalishvili was matched up against Cejudo. During the press conference, Dvalishvili pulled out a Mexican flag, and said he was going to make Mexico proud when he defeated Cejudo on fight night. The antics came after Cejudo, who is of Mexican descent, said that he is first and foremost American. “The Machine” jumped on the chance to win over those fans, and despite having no direct ties to Mexican culture, he won over the Mexican fans with that statement and got the nickname “Mexican Merab”.
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Just a few weeks after his win over Cejudo, Dvalishvili went to the fights in Mexico City, where he sported a Mexican poncho. And then, he went on to headline Noche UFC inside Sphere last September, which was an event celebrated around Mexican Independence Day.
In between all of his fights, Dvalishvili has built quite the presence on social media, often making fun skits about certain things that have happened in his career, or even just showing videos of him yelling across the street to his neighbor and close friend Sterling to come over and watch the fights.
You can have your jacket back - but you ain't getting my belt 🦾 #UFC316 pic.twitter.com/qPFvT1JiSZ
— Merab “The Machine” Dvalishvili (@MerabDvalishvil) May 21, 2025
In the lead-up to his rematch against O’Malley this Saturday at UFC 316 in Prudential Center, the two combatants had a press conference in Miami a few months ago. And, of course, Merab had a special outfit for that event, bringing back the red jacket and carrying a baby O’Malley doll in a carrier, with a hat that said, “Sean’s Dad.”
Dvalishvili’s presence on social media is one that many fans have to come to love and often talk about. I’m sure many will be waiting to see what “The Machine” has up his sleeve for tomorrow night's press conference and what’s to come on social media after the fight. Being able to see a different side of fighters and get an inside look into their lives outside the Octagon is often what makes them relatable to fans, and that seems to be the case for many who have come to cheer for the bantamweight champion.
UFC 316: Dvalishvili vs O'Malley 2 took place live from Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on June 7, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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