Dana White, UFC President (Photo by Yifan Ding/Getty Images)
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UFC men’s bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili had initially planned to take a break after winning his first title in September 2024 but is now gearing up for a busy 2025.
Dvalishvili is set to defend his title against Umar Nurmagomedov on January 18 in Los Angeles, marking the first of three fights he aims to have in a six-month period.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 14: Merab Dvalishvili of Georgia poses with his team after defeating … [+]
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Dvalishvili recently appeared on Michael Bisping’s Believe You Me podcast where he shared his future plans.
“Didn’t you say you want three fights in six months?” Bisping asked.
“I do. I do,” Dvalishvili replied.
“And would one of those fights be against Sean O’Malley?” Bisping asked. “He wants a rematch, of course. Are you happy to give him a rematch?”
“Yes, absolutely,” Dvalishvili replied. “First, I have to focus on Umar fight. God willing, I’m going to win this fight. After my fight, I wanted to take five or six months. Five months would be in February, and six months would be in March. If O’Malley isn’t ready in March, then I fight Petr Yan in March. If O’Malley is ready to fight in April in Miami—he says he is undefeated in Miami—then we can do it there.”
Here is a look at the episode:
It would be nearly impossible for Dvalishvili to pull off his ambitious plans, considering the tough opponents he aims to face. The road ahead looks challenging, but the champion is focused on taking things one fight at a time, starting with the title defense against Nurmagomedov on January 18.
Next Up in the UFC – UFC Vegas 101
On January 11, the UFC returns with a card at the Apex in Las Vegas, featuring a rematch between Mackenzie Dern and Amanda Ribas as the main event.
Ribas, who won their previous encounter, will face Dern, who is now ranked higher, in an exciting showdown. Here is a look at the complete card.
- Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas – Strawweight
- Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Carlston Harris – Welterweight
- Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. César Almeida – Middleweight
- Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov – Middleweight
- Austin Bashi vs. Christian Rodriguez – Featherweight
- Punahele Soriano vs. Uroš Medić – Welterweight
- Jose Johnson vs. Felipe Bunes – Flyweight
- Marco Túlio vs. Ihor Potieria – Middleweight
- Thiago Moisés vs. Trey Ogden – Lightweight
- Andreas Gustafsson vs. Preston Parsons – Welterweight
- Ernesta Kareckaite vs. Nicolle Caliari – Flyweight
- Magomed Gadzhiyasulov vs. Bruno Lopes – Light Heavyweight
- Viktoriia Dudakova vs. Fatima Kline – Strawweight
- Nurullo Aliev vs. Yanal Ashmouz – Lightweight
