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Merab Dvalishvili
Merab is a fascinating fighter because he didn’t start out that way. His UFC entry was a disappointing 2 losses in a row.
Then Merab revamped his game. He added pieces of offense to better connect his game, won 14 fights in a row, and became **the best bantamweight of all time. He also set the UFC takedown record in the process.
Most impressive to me is that Merab’s grappling style defines modern fence wrestling as a unique grappling art. In other words, Merab is making the meta.
In MMA’s early years, grapplers were seen either as wrestlers or submission fighters, commonly jiujitsu practitioners. As the game evolved, the wrestlers learned how to submit people, the submission stylists picked up better takedowns, and they both learned to fight along the fence. But in the past few years, fence wrestling has evolved to include distinct trips, foot sweeps, and throws that are more common in judo. Famed grappling coach Justin Flores calls this “wall waza” and Merab might be the best practitioner of it.
Usually when we study athletes on the Help Desk we go through the habits and techniques that defined their career. Here we’re going to do something a little different. We’re going to start with who Merab was, explain what he added, and then review the final, pound for pound great product.
When Merab entered the UFC he looked liked a basic and boring wrestler. He’d shoot a lot, get chest to chest, and then shoot some more.
Merab 1.0
Merab had the scaffolding of a good fighter when he debuted in the UFC. Tough, good takedowns, and great cardio. But he didn’t have much after he got his opponent’s off of their feet.
Saenz knees Merab. Merab locks his hands for a double leg. Merab lifts Saenz to take him down before stepping over Saenz’s legs to turk them and hold him down. The turks don’t do much and Saenz turns away to start standing up. Merab tries to hold onto a body lock. Saenz gets to his feet to dig an under hook. Both men trade a few strikes before disconnecting.
Merab Davlishvili - Frankie Saenz
Merab does his best work when he’s bullying people against the fence. But he was never afraid to pick up singles in the center of the cage to start the exchange. The problem was, Merab didn’t really have a good way to to make his blitzes impactful. If anything he would rush his attacks and lose position.
Merab picks up a single. Simon tries to turn to kick out but Merab has his leg cross body so he falls to his hands and knees. Merab jumps on Simon’s back but he’s way too high. Simon pikes up from quad pod and Merab slides off of him. Simon gets a knee in before they separate.
Merab Davlishvili - Ricky Simon
Because Merab likes to pick up single legs from a distance, he’s usually relatively far away from his opponents. That means they can turn to turtle easier. That’s not the worst thing in the world, but Merab had no real way to punish his opponents when they ended up under him.
Merab throws a right hand and drops into a single leg. He lifts it high in the air to trip Katona’s standing leg out. Katona kicks him away and turns belly down. Merab pushes Katona’s head down, briefly holds a head lock, and then just backs away.
Merab Davlishvili - Brad Katona
A common attack that fits into most wrestlers’ game well is using a rear punch to set up shots. Below you can see Merab clubbing wildly at his opponent to get the takedown.
Merab throws a right head kick. Lopez blocks it before walking back in. Merab throws an over hand right to hide his level change, and runs through Lopez to take him down. Lopez tries to kick Merab away to stand but Merab stands over him and starts punching to maintain top position.
Merab Davlishvili - Gustavo Lopez
Until recently the MMA world was constantly remarking about Merab’s wrestling. Then Merab took it upon himself to announce that this made no sense because he started out in judo. When you look back through Merab’s career you can see him use hip throws to free himself and create space when things aren’t going his way.
Stamann whiffs on a big right. Merab misses his own counter right hook. The two clinch. Merab has Stamann’s head and arm so he steps across him for a big head and arm throw. Stamann starts to slip out towards Merab’s back. Merab spins on top of Stamann to grab a front head lock.
Merab Dvalishvili - Cody Stamann
Single legs, too much forward pressure, and not much else got Merab into the UFC. Now let’s look at how he adjusted these weapons to make the most of his foundation.
2.0 - Lead Right
Arguably the most important thing Merab did to become the powerhouse he is today is tighten up his lead right.
Merab tightens up his hand, steps outside, and changes his level to drill a straight right through Moraes’s chin. Merab follows through with a takedown.
Merab Dvalishvili - Marlon Moraes
Being able to lead with the rear hand is almost necessary for MMA grapplers because it hides level changes. You can confuse and overwhelm opponents behind one basic strike.
When Merab fought Umar Nurmagomedov he threw lead rights all night to hurt the challenger.
Merab steps out and lands a right to the body. Umar leg kicks back. Merab comes in, they, and Merab is able to sneak in another right to the body. Umar tries to jab off the fence. Merab gets another right to the body through. Now Umar is on the fence. Merab tries to flurry, Umar pushes him off, and then Merab tries a takedown behind his right to the body.
Merab Dvalishvili - Umar Nurmagomedov
It’s not about the takedown or the strike for Merab. It’s about confusing opponents while making them work so they’re behind and falling further and further so as the fight wears on. It’s how Merab drowns people.
Merab steps outside to send a right straight to Umar’s body. Umar tries to fall on a takedown but Merab denies him. They separate and Umar lobs a left. Umar comes forward again with a jab. Merab steps outside to land a right to the body and Umar backs out. He flicks a kick and punches at Merab to keep him away. Merab lands one more body shot and Umar is bending over.
Merab Dvalishvili - Umar Nurmagomedov
Merab isn’t knocking anyone out on the feet with this punch. And he’s certainly at his best when he can use it to hide his single leg entries.
2.0 - Single Legs
Merab has a wonderful single leg. Since he debuted in the UFC he was always able to bend over, grabs an opponent’s leg, and run over them. But Merab’s single leg became a world class attack when he started using more lateral movement and trips to win the exchanges.
Cejudo jumps into a lead left hook. Merab ducks under it to grab his thigh. Cejudo starts cross facing, fighting Merab’s hands, and working to pull his leg out. Merab holds onto Cejudo’s thigh and steps in to trip Cejudo’s back leg. Cejudo immediately rolls to his hands and knees so Merab claims a back body lock.
Merab Dvalishvili - Henry Cejudo
Merab’s trip is so good, he can score with it going forward and backward.
Sandhagen is sliding back looking to counter. Sandhagen bites on a feint, puts his hands up, and Merab picks up a single. Then he runs Sandhagen into the fence. Sandhagen fights Merab’s grip and uses a whizzer to put weight on Merab. Merab walks backward, Sandhagen hops forward, and Merab kicks the support leg to take him down.
Merab Dvalishvili - Cory Sandhagen
Oftentimes, Merab only shoots to get close to his opponent’s hips and climb their spine.
Merab catches Sandhagen’s body kick and throws a right. Cory eats it and hops back to stay standing. Merab runs forward and clotheslines Sandhagen with his right arm to put him down. Sandhagen turns over to turtle. Merab grabs a back body lock and uses it to run Sandhagen down onto hands and knees.
Merab Dvalishvili - Cory Sandhagen
How did these three exchanges end? With Merab holding a back body lock. That’s not by accident. Merab does his best work when he has his hands locked around his opponent’s torso.
2.0 - Bullying From The Body Lock
Merab’s most taxing grappling comes after he climbs to a body lock. Front, side, or back; doesn’t matter. Merab constantly makes people move their feet until they’re falling over his.
Cejudo kicks Merab away, gets to turtle, and stands up against the fence. Merab punches Cejudo a few times before grabbing a rear body lock. Then he knees Cejudo. Merab hooks Cejudo’s right leg with his right leg but he doesn’t move anywhere. Then Merab steps between Cejudo’s legs with his right and pulls Cejudo’s leg out with his left to score a kosoto gake.
Merab Dvalishvili - Henry Cejudo
Kosoto gake translates to minor outer hook. It’s a simple outside trip.
Kosoto gakes are relatively hard to hit in open space against competent grapplers but the cage in MMA makes them very powerful. All you have to do is run your opponent into the wall, step between their legs, and then hook their leg as you rotate them to the floor.
If I had to pick one technique that is making Merab a generationally great fighter it would be this takedown on the fence.
Merab runs O’Malley onto the cage. O’Malley bounces off and Merab circles to a back body lock. O’Malley is bent over giving Merab an easy trip. Merab hooks O’Malleys leg for a turk and grabs his far wrist. O’Malley gets up, so Merab just holds his hip and punches him from behind until O’Malley starts hand fighting. Then Merab grabs a back body lock to knee O’Malley and usher him to the floor.
Merab Dvalishvili - Sean O'Malley
Merab has no issues using it on both sides too.
O’Malley is trying to get up. Merab is kneeing his thigh. When O’Malley gets off of his knee Merab knees him in the face so he drops back down to a knee. Merab throws a few more knees before stepping inside for a kosoto gake with the left leg. Sean leans forward. Merab hops behind O’Malley to take him down with a kosoto gari. Merab taps O'Malley while advancing on the floor. When O'Malley manages to turn away and get up, Merab hits a kosoto gake with his other leg to take O’Malley down again.
Merab Dvalishvili - Sean O'Malley
A kosoto gake isn’t the only trip you’ll see from Merab’s body lock.
Merab is kneeing Sandhagen from the back body lock to soften him up. Then he slides to his left hip so his left foot kicks Sandhagen’s left leg out as he pulls him down. A beautiful reverse tai otoshi variation. Merab opens his back body lock to hit Sandhagen from behind.
Merab Dvalishvili - Cory Sandhagen
Here you can see a perfect encapsulation of Merab’s offense at its best.
Merab ducks under Sandhagen’s punch to pick up a single. He starts to dump Sandhagen before switching to a double and climbing to the back body lock. He keeps walking so Sandhagen walks with him, setting up a picture perfect de ashi harai. Samdhagen turtles and Merab is already punching him in the head.
Merab Dvalishvili - Cory Sandhagen
Single, double, de ashi harai, and a few punches to button it all up. Beautiful. Now let’s look at how Merab keeps people busy on the mat.
2.0 - Mat Wrestling
One of the more interesting elements of Merab’s game is how he uses his legs to break his opponent’s base after he’s taken them down.
Merab frantically runs O’Malley to the fence and grabs a front head lock. This time he knees O’Malley. O’Malley drops to his knee to prevent more knees so Merab grabs a d’arce choke. Then Merab wedges his knee behind O’Malley’s to control his base. Now O’Malley is stuck on the floor.
It’s not like playing guard will make you safe either.
Merab frantically runs O’Malley to the fence and grabs a front head lock. This time he knees O’Malley. O’Malley drops to his knee to prevent more knees so Merab grabs a d’arce choke. Then Merab wedges his knee behind O’Malley’s to control his base. Now O’Malley is stuck on the floor.
Merab Dvalishvili - Sean O'Malley
Recently, Merab has shown a new affinity for attacking chokes.
Merab leaps into a left hook and drops under O’Malley’s punch to take a single. Then he dumps O’Malley to his butt. O’Malley up kicks, scoops Merab’s leg, and uses x guard hooks to off balance Merab so he can stand up. Merab grabs a front head lock and jumps on the guillotine choke. Merab puts O’Malley on his butt and Merab steps over his leg to break his base.
Merab Dvalishvili - Sean O'Malley
Merab even debuted a choke I’ve never even tried to hit before.
Merab drills O’Malley with a few knees from half guard. O’Malley doesn’t like it. He wrestles up and Merab grabs a ninja choke. O’Malley tries to spin out but Merab hangs onto his neck. Merab sprawls back to finish the choke from north south.
Why You Need To Study Merab Dvalishvili
Merab has maybe the most dynamic body lock in the sport. He certainly has the best kosoto gake.
As soon as he locks his hands he gets his opponent’s moving side to side until he can trip them. If they fall to their back, he starts pinning. If they turtle or get to a knee he taps in knees and punches until they over react and he can get deeper on his next takedown. Plus he has the
In a few decades Merab’s grappling will be fundamental techniques. Today, he’s redefining how to wrestle along the fence and use your feet score takedowns. Study him today so you can lead the next generation of grapplers.
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