“The only problem is, after such a dominating performance, it’s kind of hard to get excited about who could challenge you next and potentially win,” Joe Rogan stated in the octagon interview after witnessing Merab Dvalishvili’s incredible performance against Cory Sandhagen at UFC 320. And the UFC color commentator’s question makes total sense. This year, ‘The Machine’ has defended his belt three times and looked tremendous while doing so. That naturally creates an aura of invincibility around him.

But according to Merab himself, he is very beatable. The Georgian understands that MMA can be very unforgiving. At any moment, even a dominant fighter like himself can be caught off guard. While we haven’t seen that happen with Merab in competition yet, he gave an example from training. His former teammate Patchy Mix, who lost to Jakub Wikłacz at the UFC 320 prelims, has submitted him multiple times in practice sessions. 

Merab Dvalishvili reveals that Patchy Mix submitted him in training     

At the UFC 320 post-fight press conference, ‘The Machine’ said, “Everybody is beatable. Even GSP says we all lose in the gym, like training partners. As I’m gonna tell you…we saw Patchy Mix lose a fight. But this guy submitted me many times in the gym. He’s good, but sometimes the fight just doesn’t go your way.”

For the unversed, Merab Dvalishvili and Patchy Mix trained together for several years at the 10th Planet Gym, founded by BJJ legend Eddie Bravo. While staying in Vegas, they started training in grappling and jiu-jitsu. Regardless, the reigning bantamweight champion touched on an important point.‘The Machine’ has become a dominant force in the UFC, having almost cleared out the 135 lbs division and now preparing for a second lap. It can be challenging to stay motivated when victories become so lopsided.

But understanding that time can change drastically, maintaining this hunter mentality pushes him to train even harder. To substantiate his point further, Merab also referred to the UFC 320 main event as an example. So, let’s take a closer look at what he had to say. 

‘The Machine’ applauds Alex Pereira’s UFC 320 comeback 

At the UFC 320 headliner, Alex Pereira viciously knocked out Magomed Ankalaev to avenge his UFC 313 loss. And if you ask the fans, they’ll tell you that ‘Poatan’ looked nothing like he did in their first fight. It was as if he were a completely different fighter this time. He looked sharper, more composed, and far more dangerous. Because of that transformation, the Brazilian got his revenge spectacularly. With that in mind, Merab believes anything can happen in the potential rematches waiting for him as well.

He added at the UFC 320 press conference, “It’s the fight business. We saw in the first fight, Ankalaev vs Pereira — different result. This time, different result. Third time, maybe another different result. You know, it’s a fight. Everybody is beatable. Good luck fighting me, but yes, of course everybody has a chance.”

And that’s exactly why Merab is such a dominant champion. He humbly acknowledges that no challenge is too small or insignificant. Looking ahead, the Georgian may put his belt on the line in rematches against Petr Yan and Umar Nurmagomedov, both of whom could present very different threats in their potential matchups.

With that being said, what do you think about Merab Dvalishvili’s humility and his willingness to learn from past mistakes? Do you believe this mindset will help him extend his reign even further? Let us know in the comments section below.