Legendary MMA coach Ray Longo, who has trained a total of four UFC champions, was fresh off another historic moment when his newest protégé, Merab Dvalishvili, successfully defended his bantamweight title against Cory Sandhagen on UFC320 last Saturday.
During his regularly scheduled appearance on the Anik and Florian podcast-hosted by UFC commentator I am the Tek and former three-division contender Kenny Florian. Longo summed up what he called a “wild weekend.” He powered the reigning champions to victory and attended former champion Aljamain Sterling’s wedding the next day.
“Merab Dvalishvili, it’s amazing what this man has accomplished,” Longo said. “It’s crazy to think there were people who once told me he wasn’t the greatest bantamweight of all time. This guy is carving out space at a Mount Rushmore level.”
Anik congratulated Longo on this achievement and said: “Congratulations on the third title defense – all in 2025.”
“Congratulations to Merab,” the ever-modest Longo replied. “He’s a machine and he’s earned every letter of that nickname. I don’t even know how he does it. At the afterparty at 6am, that guy is jumping around like a crazy person. At Aljo’s wedding he told me he slept for an hour.”
Merab is the storm
“I think he looked great in the first round, even after almost getting knocked out he came back.” Longo said of Corey. “It was a fun, competitive fight. One guy is just ruthless and won’t stop. He’s starting to mix things up and add new threats, which is really scary.”
Longo continued to praise Merab: ‘That’s perhaps what he enjoys the most Octagon of everyone we’ve ever seen. That is the key for me.”
Kenny Florian followed with a poetic response: “Fate whispers to Merab Dvalishvili, ‘You cannot withstand the storm,’ and Merab is the storm.”
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