Did you know that there was a time when the bantamweight champion, Merab Dvalishvili took a temporary retirement from the world of mixed martial arts? Well, that’s exactly what ‘The Machine’ revealed during a recent interview with Verse Us. If you haven’t heard about it, worry no more. EssentiallySports has come up with yet another episode of MMA News Roundup. 

Today, we’ll begin the journey with Dvalishvili’s pseudo-retirement, and then move on to a massive update from Paige VanZant. And finally, we’ll take a look at the expected date for Belal Muhammad’s return. So, without any further ado, let’s dive right in!

Merab Dvalishvili talks about his temporary retirement

During a recent conversation with Eric Nicksick on his podcast ‘Verse Us’, the bantamweight champion talked about his temporary retirement at the end of 2014. It was the time when Merab Dvalishvili fought under the banner of CFFC. He had lost 2 out of his 3 bouts and was worried that if he lost at CFFC, there was no way he could perform well at UFC. But was that the moment when he knew he was done with MMA?

When Nicksick asked this, ‘The Machine’ replied, “Yeah, I’m like, I’m done MMA. I was booked for my next fight but I had headaches like, you know, I wasn’t happy, not motivated, and I said tell that maybe first time ever cancel fight. And I said, ‘No, I want time, some time off.’ And I was thinking too, ‘Yeah, I’m gonna live normal. Like, okay I have a job. Construction. Make money and work daytime. Night time, go restaurants, go club, hang out with girls, maybe get married and live like a normal.” 

Even though the bantamweight champion was going out and having fun, it was a time when he didn’t derive much happiness. He missed the action inside the MMA cage. This magnetic pull brought him to CES MMA in 2016. Ultimately he jumped over to the UFC in 2017. Now, let’s shine some light on Paige VanZant’s MMA return. 

Paige VanZant returns to the MMA cage

You read that right! VanZant is set to debut under the banner of Global Fight League in 2025. Well, GFL is one of the many competitors of UFC, with over 300 fighters under contract. And with a record of 8-5, VanZant would be a pretty stellar addition to their roster. On Paige and Austin: A Kicka– Love Story, the former UFC contestant revealed, “They are picking up anybody and everybody who has a name in this sport who is a free agent. So, they offered me a contract, and I said yes. Going back to MMA. I think this is the perfect opportunity because I didn’t necessarily leave MMA.”

VanZant confessed that MMA was always in her mind, and losing interest was not a reason she left the cage. But when the GFL came forth with an attractive offer, she had her interest piqued again. She continued, “Now, there is this new MMA organization that made me really excited to fight for them. Like, the way they’re doing it, they’re legit paying their athletes. Everybody I’ve heard thats negotiated their contract so far is extremely excited and happy. I also saw that, which I don’t know the logistics behind the scenes, but they’re doing like a pension fund for the fighters, and I think health insurance.”

Now, it’s time for our final stop. Let’s take a look at what the Dagestani team’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, had to say about Belal Muhammad’s return to the Octagon.

When will Belal Muhammad fight again?

After becoming the new welterweight champion of the world, Muhammad was set to fight Shavkat Rakhmonov in his first-ever title defense. However, a nasty foot infection forced him to pull out of the fight at UFC 310. This left the entire fighting community wondering about the Palestinian champion’s return. 

According to MMA Junkie, the Arab-American manager claimed that ‘Remember The Name’ would be fighting in May 2025. The caption of the social media posts read, ”Ali Abdelaziz says he believes that Belal  Muhammad will be fighting sometime in May.”

And that brings us to the end of today’s episode of MMA News Roundup. What did you think of Dvalishvili’s temporary retirement? Will VanZant receive huge success at the GFL? How will the bout between Rakhmonov and Muhammad pan out in May 2025? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.