Merab Dvalishvili, the reigning UFC bantamweight champion, has already defended his title three times in 2025 and is soon set to make a record-breaking fourth defense against Petr Yan at UFC 323. Should he win again, ‘The Machine’ will be the first bantamweight to clock in four title defenses. He will also stand alone in UFC history with four consecutive title defenses in one calendar year, something no champion has ever done. But while his focus remains on the Octagon, Dvalishvili just revealed another mission close to his heart: bringing the UFC to his homeland, Georgia.

The 34-year-old fighter has long carried his nation’s flag with pride, often walking out to Georgian music and dedicating his victories to his countrymen. Now, thanks to a powerful ally and sponsor, that dream of seeing an Octagon land in his home country might soon become a reality!

Merab Dvalishvili’s sponsor and “friend” is trying to sway Dana White for a UFC event in Georgia

During a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Dvalishvili revealed that his sponsor, Aviator, and its Georgian founder, David Natroshvili, are in active talks with UFC CEO Dana White to make a UFC event in Georgia happen. According to ‘The Machine’, “So yeah, Aviator is my sponsor and yeah, they are actually sponsoring lots of guys in UFC too and they are sponsoring UFC. And then I don’t know if you saw, they [gave] me [a] nice Mercedes G63 G Wagon as a gift after my fight.”

When Ariel Helwani asked whether Aviator was an apparel brand, Merab Dvalishvili clarified with a grin, “No, I think they have games on the internet. It’s a game, but you are a pilot.” Helwani then joked that maybe Natroshvili could help bring the UFC to Georgia, and the champion confirmed exactly that as he shared, “Oh yeah, he’s trying, actually, to. He’s actually talking to UFC to bring UFC to Georgia with the sports minister, also. And they are working, really, David [is] really work[ing] on this. And he’s also my friend, and so hopefully it will be…”

However, Dvalishvili admitted that while he likely wouldn’t fight on that card if it happens, the prospect still excites him as he continued, “I don’t think now I’m a champion, I’m planning to be champion, I don’t think I can fight in Georgia.  But still it’s going to be great because we have Giga Chikadze, Roman Dolidze, Aleksandre Topuria, of course we have Ilia, but you know, he’s not going to fight also in Georgia, but we can add, like we have other great fighters…”

For those unaware, David Natroshvili isn’t just any sponsor. A former First Deputy Minister of Economy in Georgia, he helped modernize the country’s investment landscape before turning to technology and innovation. In 2018, he founded Spribe, the iGaming software company behind Aviator, a viral crash game that revolutionized online gambling.

Under Natroshvili’s leadership, Aviator has exploded globally. The game now boasts over 50 million monthly active users, integrated across 5,000 global operators, with 400,000 bets placed every minute. His company even signed multiyear sponsorship deals with both the UFC and WWE earlier this year, a strategic move that cemented its footprint across sports entertainment.

Given his global connections and national pride, Natroshvili’s push to bring the UFC to Georgia seems more than symbolic; it’s personal. If the UFC does touch down in Georgia, it would mark a historic milestone for a nation that has quietly become a powerhouse in mixed martial arts. As pointed out by ‘The Machine, fighters like Chikadze and Dolidze have put the country on the map, while lightweight king Ilia Topuria, though representing Spain, proudly carries his Georgian roots with him.

And at the center of it all stands Merab Dvalishvili, a champion determined to make history not just inside the cage, but for his country too. Now, ahead of his record-breaking title defense, his coach has sparked up the flames with a pointed jab at his upcoming opponent, Petr Yan!

‘The Machine’s coach takes shot at “disappointing” Petr Yan

Merab Dvalishvili‘s longtime coach, John Wood, has turned up the heat, and he’s not holding back against Petr Yan. Wood, who has overseen Dvalishvili’s evolution during his 14-fight win streak at Syndicate MMA, didn’t take kindly to Yan’s recent comments. The Russian striker told The Ariel Helwani Show that he was operating at 50 percent during his first fight with Dvalishvili in 2023, blaming a hand injury for his lackluster performance. That excuse didn’t sit well with Wood.

In a conversation with MMA Junkie, the veteran coach fired off with, “I am a Yan fan. That was a little disappointing. Like, ‘Oh my God, OK. Now we’ve got to go out there and do you worse than we did the first time, just to prove a point.’” Strong words from a man who’s seen Dvalishvili grind through countless wars. The first bout was pure domination. ‘The Machine’ attempted a record-breaking 49 takedowns, landing nine, and won every round on the judges’ scorecards.

But according to Wood, that version of Dvalishvili was only half as dangerous as the one training today. He continued, “That second fight is going to be so much worse for him. The fact that he said that, it’s like – dude, just shut up. You’re a fantastic fighter, and nothing but respect for him and his camp. But you start to say things like that, then don’t take the f—g fights then.”

So, if Aviator and David Natroshvili succeed in bringing the UFC to Georgia, it won’t just be another event on the calendar; it’ll be a moment of national pride, a declaration that the small nation has become a global force in MMA. But before that dream becomes reality, there’s unfinished business with Petr Yan, and judging by the fire in both Dvalishvili and his coach, this rematch might just be the most personal chapter yet in ‘The Machine’s unstoppable rise!