LAS VEGAS – Merab Dvalishvili had to go through a lot of adversity to get his latest win.
The UFC bantamweight contender was badly hurt at Saturday’s UFC 266 before mounting a comeback to stop former title challenger Marlon Moraes in the second round of their bantamweight clash.
Dvalishvili (14-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC) ate a hard hook that had him wobbly for a good chunk of the first round. However, before the end of the first Dvalishvili was able to get a takedown and change the tide of the fight. The momentum carried over into the following round where he got the stoppage win.
“I’m just happy to get the win tonight,” Dvalishvili told MMA Junkie and other reporters at the UFC 266 post-fight news conference. “Win is a win for me, especially against this strong opponent Marlon Moraes. I’m just happy for the win.
“I got hurt but you have to kill me to stop me. I’m a warrior. I survived, I was fighting and I just took him down. I was hurt, but nothing like this. I’m telling you, you have to kill me to stop me.”
The win over Moraes put Dvalishvili on a seven-fight winning streak. The 30-year-old last saw defeat in 2018 in a submission loss to Ricky Simon. Dvalishvili is hoping to get another big name at 135 pounds, but has no preference on a specific name.
“Whoever, come get it,” Dvalishvili said. “I don’t care.”
Watch the full post-fight interview with Dvalishvili in the video above.
Merab Dvalishvili on comeback win at UFC 266: ‘You have to kill me to stop me’