UFC Warrior Sets Record for Defending Championship Belt Four Times in a Year
Dvalishvili - the chicken class champion (57.2-61.3 kg) - is a rare role model in the modern era of the UFC, where fighters typically fight only two, three times a year, and even less after winning the title. But the 34-year-old is preparing to enter a fourth belt defense in just 12 months — unprecedented in UFC history.
Once considered a bore for grappling, it took Dvalishvili up to 10 consecutive wins to get a chance to compete. In October 2024, he knocked out Sean O’Malley for the crown, claiming to be the most explosive champion in UFC history. What happens in 2025 proves you don’t speak too much.
Three months after defeating O’Malley, though still recovering from his injuries, Dvalishvili immediately received belt protection from Umar Nurmagomedov, the cousin of legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov.
This match, after a slow start, Dvalishvili held on to his superhuman strength, then reversed the situation to win points. Not only did he defend the title, he also became the most self-defeating fighter in UFC history (92), surpassing legend Georges St-Pierre.
The climax came in June, when Dvalishvili fought O’Malley again at UFC 316 – who claimed the previous failure was due to injury. Dvalishvili not only won, but for the first time in his career O’Malley suffered a submission.
Dvalishvili defended the title for the third time with a point victory over Cory Sandhagen - a striking fighter - in October 2025. Dvalishvili continued to surprise, not only overwhelming with object power but also showing a sharp standing ability, causing Sandhagen to be knocked out. The Georgian fighter extended the winning streak to 14 matches, the second best achievement in UFC history.
Immediately after the match, when asked about his next opponent, Dvalishvili did not hesitate to name Petr Yan – the opponent he defeated in 2023. Despite the coach’s advice to take a break, Dvalishvili believes that at the age of 34, he is reaching his peak and needs to take advantage of his golden time.
The UFC agreed and scheduled a rematch to UFC 323, making Dvalishvili the first champion in UFC history to compete four times in a year's tenure.
Dvalishvili's nickname "The Machine" is no coincidence. He maintained the intensity of training almost as the army: long runs, continuous objects for hours, endurance exercises in an oxygen-deprived environment. "My body knows only two states, fighting and recovering," the Georgian fighter said.
Dvalishvili is also known for his almost absolute discipline. He eats a strict diet, drinks no beer, doesn't party, and usually spends most of his time at the Serra-Longo gym, where he trains with his best friend Aljamain Sterling, a former champion of the same class.
If he continues to win Yan in December, Dvalishvili is more likely to become the UFC's number one "pound-for-pound" fighter, the highest position for the best in every weight class.
