A Swarming Support for Merab in Georgia
That’s how we do it in Georgia… – Merab Dvalishvili
It was all hands on deck for Merab Dvalishvili at Tbilisi Shota Rustaveli International Airport on Wednesday … where he was swarmed by fans and cameras eager to snag a peek at the champ.
After dominating Sean O’Malley by submission at UFC 316, Merab Dvalishvili entered the pound-for-pound rankings at No.2, surpassing Jon Jones and his fellow countryman, Ilia Topuria, and deservingly so!
However, while Merab’s dominance in UFC news is crazy impressive, nothing was quite as crazy as the hero’s welcome he received when returning back to his home country of Georgia…
Merab has returned to Tbilisi, Georgia.
These are the scenes that awaited him. 🤯
🎥 @dannyrube pic.twitter.com/BBDozzmSWA
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) June 11, 2025
Through the Streets of Tbilisi
The madness didn’t end at the airport… Merab jumped on a bus and decided to take a scenic tour through Tbilisi, his hometown. There wasn’t much sightseeing going on, however, as packs of fans constantly chased him.
Some were running, others utilized bikes to keep up with the bus, but there’s no better way to match the horsepower of the bus engine than by actually using an actual horse…
As runners, bikers, and horse riders rode along Merab’s bus during the hero’s welcome, one nut job jumped from a street sign onto the side of the moving vehicle!
“That’s how we do it in Georgia,” Merab commented.
Merab Dvalishvili got absolutely swarmed during his homecoming in Georgia 😳🇬🇪 pic.twitter.com/4WEbWr0SuO
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) June 11, 2025
Well-Deserved Praise, And What’s Next for Merab?
Good luck finding a UFC athlete soaking up the same fame as Merab right now. The bantamweight champion, on a 13-fight win streak, continues to break UFC records and is just a few more wins shy of entering GOAT-win status alongside the likes of Anderson Silva, Jon Jones, and GSP.
Merab started 0-2 in the UFC. Since then, he’s won 13 in a row and it’s against murderer’s row of opponents. pic.twitter.com/JtjdohPTw9
— Full Violence ™ (@Full_Violence) June 11, 2025
The only question remaining is: What’s next for the Georgian MMA legend?
UFC rumors of a Umar Nurmagomedov rematch have been noted, while Cory Sandhagen is expected to be the next in line to challenge Merab for the 135 lb gold.
In my opinion, let the man enjoy this time as a champion. The activity of Merab has been relentless, and he deserves to soak up all the love he’s receiving from fight fans.
Ask Merab, I don’t think you’ll receive the same sentiment. While we’re seeing him enjoy the fruits of his labour this week, he’s already stated that he’d love to fight twice more in 2025!
Now that’s a champion we can support—take note, Jon Jones!
