Merab Dvalishvili has never been shy about taking on battles head-on, whether they come in the form of Petr Yan, Sean O’Malley, or a marathon set of scrambles in the gym. But sometime between 2023 and 2024, the UFC bantamweight champion surprised fans with a different kind of transformation, one not measured in takedowns or win streaks, but in hair follicles!

‘The Machine’, who once wore his receding hairline with pride, revealed he had undergone a hair transplant! The internet, as expected, went wild. Did he get a hair transplant? And how did he recover while still staying active at the top of the division? Let’s dive in.

When did Merab Dvalishvili get a hair transplant?

Merab Dvalishvili shared a couple of posts from Turkiye, one in March 2023 and the other the other one in February 2024. It is believed that during that period, the bantamweight star got his hair worked out at the Now Hair Time clinic located in Istanbul. Dvalishvili’s hairline started receding at a pretty young age, but when he showcased the result on his social media handles, it looked like it was worth it.

The country of Istanbul is often referred to as the global capital for hair transplants. Not just UFC fighters like Merab Dvalishvili, but celebrities from other walks of life, like the showbiz or movie industry, have also traveled to Turkiye. But at the top sits Now Hair Time, who has showcased the range of clients they have on their social media handles.

While it was great to have a full set of hair back for Merab Dvalishvili, a former UFC champion doesn’t think the Georgian needed to do so. If you’re wondering who that former champion is, well, it’s none other than the ever-vocal Sean Strickland.

Sean Strickland is as raw as it gets, and we get to experience it every time he gets a microphone or when he goes on social media. As such, when a fan asked ‘Tarzan’ about his thoughts on Merab Dvalishvili’s hair transplant, he had an unexpected reaction. 

Strickland doesn’t like hair transplants and has called for people to avoid it. Instead, he suggests that bald men could choose to compensate for their hair loss with a nice beard. “Wtf is going on with these hair transplants…. STOP… Grow a beard, lift some weights, find Jesus… IDK, but that ain’t the way,” Sean Strickland tweeted. 

And while his words stirred debate online, Dvalishvili didn’t bite back. True to his calm and playful nature, he carried on posting his training clips and lighthearted skits, barely acknowledging the noise. With the haircut mystery addressed, there’s another question fans still wonder about: how did he manage the healing process alongside his championship schedule?

How the procedure healed amidst Merab’s active fighting schedule

Hair transplantation is far more common among athletes than many realize. The procedure involves moving hair follicles from a donor area, usually the back or sides of the head, to thinning or bald regions. The two main methods are: FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction), and FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation), a strip-based method requiring more recovery. 

Hair transplants typically require downtime, but Merab Dvalishvili’s lifestyle isn’t exactly built for rest. That’s why experts believe he most likely underwent an FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) procedure, the more modern, minimally invasive method used by many athletes.

The recovery timeline matches the kind of subtle changes fans noticed:

• 7–10 days for the initial healing phase
• 2–3 weeks for the transplanted hairs to shed
• 3–4 months before new growth appears
• 9–12 months for the full, final result

Even with the memes, Strickland’s commentary, and the chatter online, Merab Dvalishvili’s hair transplant never overshadowed who he is at his core, a relentless fighter, a playful showman, and a champion chasing history at UFC 323!