Former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad has praised Merab Dvalishvili’s toughness at UFC 323. Dvalishvili’s fourth defense of his 135-pound championship was unsuccessful in 2025, with Petr Yan playing a spoiler in the rematch.
Yan emerged as the more accurate striker and bloodied the 34-year-old. The challenger also scored takedowns of his own and stopped many of Dvalishvili’s. Ultimately, ‘No Mercy’ achieved one unanimous decision victory becoming a two-time bantamweight kingpin.
The commentators at UFC 323 noted that every time the Georgian received an injection in the liver, he was in excruciating pain and reacted. However, he didn’t slow down.
Now Belal Muhammad has praised ‘The Machine’ for his toughness. ‘Remember the Name’ says that most fighters collapse or quit after taking such shots. But the Georgian stood still.
“Real fighters know that when you get hit in the liver, 90% of guys drop to one knee and fold. He was making noises, but he was still standing. He had no stopping in him; he went all the way to the end.”
Check out Belal Muhammad’s comments below:
Following the loss, the UFC has promised Merab Dvalishvili a title rematch for his next fight once he recovers and is ready to go.
Aljamain Sterling reveals what Merab Dvalishvili’s UFC 323 game plan was
After Merab Dvalishvili’s title loss, his old friend and training partner Aljamain Sterling pointed out the main reason why Dvalishvili was not performing optimally. Sterling believes ‘The Machine’ wasn’t given enough time to warm up for the fight, as the co-main event of UFC 323 ended just a few seconds into Round 1.
Sterling also revealed that Petr Yan’s approach to attacking the body was also planned for Dvalishvili. ‘Funkmaster’ said:
“When Yan went to the body, we were like, Hey, you can go to the body too. The exact same combinations that we work on in the room that you and John Wood work on, it’s right there. And we were working on when he covers up, and you start throwing those punches, and he starts thinking you’re going to sit down with him and punch… That’s when you rip the body, and then he drops his hands; you can start looking for the takedowns.”
Watch Aljamain Sterling’s comments on Merab Dvalishvili’s title loss below:
#Belal #Muhammad #praises #Merab #Dvalishvilis #toughness #nasty #liver #shots #UFC