"That’s actually really wholesome" - Fans react to Merab Dvalishvili inviting neighbor Aljamain Sterling for fight night hangout ahead of UFC 311

Merab Dvalishvili last entered the octagon in September as he defeated Sean O'Malley via unanimous decision at UFC 306 to capture the bantamweight title. He will attempt to defend the belt for the first time this weekend against Umar Nurmagomedov in the co-main event of UFC 311.

'The Machine' recently tuned in for UFC Fight Night 249, the first card of 2025, inviting over his neighbor and teammate Aljamain Sterling. Speaking on episode two of UFC 311 Embedded: Vlog Series, Dvalishvili stated:

"Let's call my neighbor. Aljo! What's up, my friend? Aljo! Yeah, yeah, it's okay. Don't worry, he's going to hear me. My neighbor! Hey! He's right there. Come watch fights here. Looking like middleweight, my brother."

Sterling jogged over to the bantamweight champion's house, adding:

"Yeah, Merab and I didn't plan to live like this close. It just kind of worked its way out."

Check out the footage of Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling below:

Fans shared their reaction to the close friends living a few doors apart. @lewiscollinsMMA labeled it as wholesome:

"That’s actually really wholesome"

@kevstuhh claimed that Dvalishvili and Sterling are living the dream:

"that’s the dream man. moving in the same block with ur homie"

@HeadBetwixKnees joked that the two should not show where they live:

"this is how you get both of your houses robbed while you are gone this weekend"

@brosephblake suggested that training is easier due to the proximity of the fighters:

"This is awesome! Definitely makes training easier when you got a friend that close. I knew they were tight but didn’t realize it was like this."

Check out the best fan reactions below:

Fan reactions

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Merab Dvalishvili shares inspirational message ahead of first UFC title defense

Merab Dvalishvili will look to defend his bantamweight title for the first time this weekend. He took to social media on Monday to share an inspirational message about hard work, posting, in English and Georgian:

"11 years ago I lost my pro debut. Never gave up, hard work paid off. Look where we are today ! 🦾 11 years ago, I lost my debut among professionals, but I did not stop moving towards the goal. Now I have even bigger goals ahead of me. The main thing is hard work and everything will work out. [Georgian flag]🦾"

Check out Merab Dvalishvili's post below:

Dvalishvili lost his professional debut and two of his first three bouts before winning six consecutive fights to earn a UFC contract. He once again faced adversity upon joining the promotion, losing his first two fights. 'The Machine' has won 11 straight bouts since, including defeating former champions in each of his last four appearances.