Is Merab Dvalishvili Muslim? Exploring the Noche UFC 306 fighter’s religion, background, and nationality ahead of title-clash at The Sphere

Merab Dvalishvili is all set to fight for the bantamweight belt at UFC Noche (UFC 306) on Sept. 14, 2024, at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA against Sean O'Malley.

While fans have witnessed 'The Machine' power through his opponents with his bullish grappling, phenomenal cardio, and off-cage antics, not many are familiar with Dvalishvili's ethnic background and religious beliefs.

Today, let's take a look into the title challenger's background.

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Is Merab Dvalishvili Muslim? Exploring his religious background and nationality.

Merab Dvalishvili is a juggernaut inside the octagon and a jovial personality outside it. With a dominant win over Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo in his last outing, 'The Machine' has extended his win streak to 10 fights, and has accumulated an impressive record of 17-4-0, with 10 wins and two of those losses coming in the UFC.

Dvalishvili was born on Jan. 10, 1991, in Tbilisi, the Georgian SSR (Soviet Socialist Republic). The USSR disintegrated the same year, so he grew up in an independent Georgia. Contrary to popular belief, the 33-year-old is not a Muslim.

The Georgian Orthodox Church is home to the number one ranked bantamweight, who is a devout follower of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. This church claims apostolic roots and is linked to Saint Andrew, one of Jesus' original twelve disciples.

'The Machine' moved to the United States at the age of 21 to pursue his dream of becoming a UFC fighter. After relocating, Dvalishvili began training with Matt Serra and Ray Longo, who continue to train him to this day.

Dvalishvili worked in different construction sites before pursuing an MMA career. Moreover, he's been staying in the US for more than 12 years now. The bantamweight notably completed the requirements to attain American citizenship in March 2024, following his victory over former champion Cejudo.

Dvalishvili began his MMA career in 2014. He fought for several promotions, including CFFC and Ring of Combat and amassed a 7-2 record before being signed to 'Dana White Lookin' for a Fight'. During the same series on June 2, 2017, Dvalishvili faced off against fellow prospect Raufeon Stots. He won this fight with a spinning backfist KO 15 seconds into the first round and was later offered a contract by UFC President Dana White.

Having been signed to the UFC, Dvalishvili lost his first two bouts. However, 'The Machine' has made great leaps as he has remained undefeated, and is now on a 10-fight win streak going into his first title bout at UFC Noche.

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Merab Dvalishvili's belief in God has solidified his confidence

Merab Dvalishvili may not appear too serious, thanks to his goofy social media skits, but 'The Machine' claims his belief in the divine being has strengthened his confidence and belief in his game.

The 33-year-old went on a trip to India, where he sat down with Ranveer Allahbadia of the BeerBiceps podcast and opened up about his spirituality. When asked about whether his belief in God has helped his game, Dvalishvili said:

“Yeah man, God is always with you, it doesn’t matter man. My opponent, he wants to kill me. He wants to punch me in the face. And yeah, sometimes, you know this, and your opponent is hitting hard, he may break your bone and then you have to be in an animal mode.

"But at the same time, you have to know that God is with you, you’re not gonna die. You know what I’m saying. You have to just work hard, you have to fight hard, you have to defend yourself, you have to attack and you have to fight back but ofcourse, God is with you, and ofcourse God will save you and will be with you.”

Check out Merab Dvalishvili's comments on his spiritual belief (28:50):