The relationship between UFC CEO Dana White and bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili hasn’t always been smooth, but Dvalishvili is happy with where things are at in 2025.
Dvalishvili puts his title on the line for the first time against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 on Jan. 18 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. “The Machine” has been involved in a few incidents with fans in 2024, including at UFC 310 following teammate Aljamain Sterling’s loss to Movsar Evloev.