You look at Merab Dvalishvili right now and you’d swear he’s untouchable. A 13-fight win streak, two title defenses, and a motor that just doesn’t stop. The man has turned the bantamweight division into his personal playground, grinding through elite names and carving his place alongside legends like Jon Jones and Khabib Nurmagomedov. But here’s the thing—champions don’t stay sharp by coasting. They need pressure, they need someone to test them when the cameras aren’t rolling.

And guess what? Word out of Merab’s camp is that he’s been finding that test in a place nobody saw coming. Behind closed doors, a teenager—yeah, an 18-year-old kid—has been pushing the Georgian champion to the brink during training. According to his coach John Wood, this rising prospect isn’t just holding his own… he’s forcing Merab Dvalishvili’s to dig deeper than ever ahead of UFC 320.

Inside Merab Dvalishvili’s camp: coach reveals key training partner for UFC 320

Behind the scenes, 18-year-old rising star Jackson Glass (1-0) is already making waves, as he pushes UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili to his limits. Training with the champion forced ‘The Machine’ to dig deeper, sharpen every skill, and step into the octagon fully battle-ready. In a recent interview with MiddleEasy, Dvalishvili’s coach John Wood offered an inside look at the young phenom’s impact: “’I’ll give a shout-out to Jackson Glass. Actually a young kid, one of Cody Steel’s guys from his team in Texas, who comes out and works with us a lot. He’s 18 years old, and this kid is a phenom on the feet and in jiu-jitsu.”

“And he’s actually ended up, surprisingly—not because of his, you know, thinking that he’s not ready—but his skill set has been amazing. I just didn’t know how he would deal with the pressure of Merab. That guy has gotten in there; phenomenal jiu-jitsu, great stand-up, big, long, tall—he’s like 6’1 already—and is just giving Merab as many rounds as he can.”

Although Glass may be new to the spotlight, he’s already turning heads. While Tapology has limited information on him, his Instagram boasts over 29,000 followers. Additionally, he holds a purple belt, claims a WBC World Championship, and is a three-time TBA champion. Earlier this year, in February, he defeated Adrian Munoz by decision, and during his amateur career, he finished two opponents in the Finish Fury amateur series, closing his amateur record at 2-0. Now, joining Merab Dvalishvili’s camp marks a significant new chapter in the Texas phenom’s burgeoning career.

Dvalishvili lets fans in on his true feelings ahead of title defense

Merab Dvalishvili has made a career out of patience, precision, and timing, often waiting until the championship rounds to take over his opponents. Although labeled “boring” by some after his wrestling-heavy decisions at UFC 306, the Georgian standout reminded the world of his finishing power earlier this month, submitting Sean O’Malley in their UFC 316 rematch.

That win clearly proved the Georgian champion hasn’t forgotten how to end a fight. Now, with UFC 320 looming, Merab Dvalishvili aims to ride that momentum straight into the octagon. On October 4 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the bantamweight king will defend his title against top contender Cory Sandhagen in the main event. This marks his third title defense, and he enters as the betting favorite.

However, Merab Dvalishvili knows better than to take anything for granted. “I know a lot of people think I’ve got this fight easy, but no, definitely no because it’s a new fight for me. Cory is a dangerous opponent. I have so much respect for him as a fighter and human being. I’m looking for a first knockout because I’m working on my striking, and we’ll see. I’m working on my striking and this fight most is going to go on the feet,” the champ explained. “Of course, I am going to exchange some punches with him, and that’s the goal, but it’s an MMA fight and we have to be ready for everything,” Dvalishvili told MMA Junkie.

With the UFC 320 countdown already underway, all eyes are on Merab Dvalishvili. Will the bantamweight champion live up to his world-class reputation and put the American star to sleep? Fans are already weighing in—drop your predictions below.