Is Merab Dvalishvili's hat the same as Khabib Nurmagomedov's papakha? Explaining tradition behind 'The Machine's' headgear

Merab Dvalishvili is counted among the UFC's best grapplers today. True to his moniker, 'The Machine,' Dvalishvili is viewed as a bonafide cardio machine. The Georgian, who became a U.S. citizen this year, is on a 10-fight win streak and is the No. 1-ranked UFC bantamweight.

Dvalishvili (17-4 MMA) is currently looking to dethrone longtime rival, UFC bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley (18 wins, 1 loss, 1 No Contest). The highly-anticipated O'Malley-Dvalishvili title showdown headlines UFC 306 (Riyadh Season Noche UFC) at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A., on Sept. 14, 2024.

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Is Merab Dvalishvili's hat the same as Khabib Nurmagomedov's papakha?

Ex-UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov donned headgear, known as papakha (aka papaha), at many UFC events. It's a traditional headwear used by people from the Caucasus region. That includes places like Chechnya and Dagestan, which are governed by Russia, and the nation of Georgia too.

Khabib Nurmagomedov and Merab Dvalishvili both wear the papakha. They're made of similar wool/sheepskin, but the region and culture a hat represents changes based on the person wearing it. Nurmagomedov wears it to represent Dagestan and its culture, whereas Dvalishvili wears it to represent Georgia and its culture.

Papakha is a Turkic-origin term, symbolizing Caucasian and Central Asian heritage. Made of wool and/or sheepskin from native sheep, it was historically worn mainly by people who worked outdoors, including warriors and shepherds. It helps protect against cold climatic conditions and is considered a sign of dignity and honor.

Leaders wear it, sometimes with embellishments, signifying high respect and status. The hat's color could vary based on the region, type of wool/sheepskin, and/or the practice of dyeing. The two main types of papakhas are the high fur papakha which generally has foldable ear flaps and the 'kubanka' which is shorter and usually doesn't have ear flaps.

During his post-fight press conference after his unanimous decision victory against MMA legend Jose Aldo at UFC 278 (Aug. 2022), Merab Dvalishvili was asked about the similarity between his and Khabib Nurmagomedov's hats and fighting styles. Dvalishvili responded by praising Nurmagomedov's accomplishments but underscored that they're different fighters.

'The Machine' acknowledged their cultural connection, be it donning the papakha or hailing from the Caucasus mountains. Dvalishvili also indicated that Dagestan is predominantly Islamic, while Georgia is a Christian-majority country, which is a key cultural difference.

Watch Merab Dvalishvili address their Caucasian connection below:

Back in 2023, Khabib Nurmagomedov's cousin Umar Nurmagomedov called out Merab Dvalishvili. 'Young Eagle' lightheartedly challenged Dvalishvili to a papakha showdown. As reported by Home of Fight, Umar stated:

"White Papakha vs. Black Papakha. I hope they will accept this fight."

For context, Merab Dvalishvili sports papakhas of different colors such as white, brown, and black. Their proposed 2023 fight didn't materialize due to Dvalishvili getting injured. Presently, Nurmagomedov is the No. 2-ranked bantamweight, fresh off a dominant unanimous decision victory over Cory Sandhagen in Aug. 2024.

Dvalishvili recently opined that Umar's UFC promotional push was due to his connection with Khabib. Well, Umar countered by labeling 'The Machine' "scared."

Meanwhile, the 33-year-old Georgian opined that ex-UFC flyweight champion and current bantamweight contender Deiveson Figueiredo deserves the next title shot more than Umar does. Regardless, it's believed the UFC will likely hand Umar a title shot against the O'Malley-Dvalishvili winner.