Merab Dvalishvili shares four-word reaction to Dakota Ditcheva's stunning win at PFL Regular Season 2024
Merab Dvalishvili is a student of the MMA game and for that reason, has kept his eye on PFL rising star Dakota Ditcheva, whose deep pool of Muay Thai skills has served her well in what has, thus far, been a spotless MMA career. Just two days ago, the Englishwoman extended her undefeated record to 11-0.
She took on Lisa Mauldin, TKO'ing her within three minutes of round one to secure a jaw-dropping win in the 2024 edition of PFL 1. Not only did it preserve Ditcheva's unbeaten record, but it also extended her run of finishes, with 10 of her 11 wins being either a knockout or submission.
This was enough to draw Dvalishvili's attention, who popped into the comment section of an Instagram post celebrating the PFL Europe women's flyweight champion's dominant win. Dvalishvili was nothing but congratulatory, specifically praising her for her vicious striking style.
"She is real killer"
At just 25 years old and with an undefeated record, knockout power, and fan-friendly style, Ditcheva could be UFC-bound in the near future. For now, however, she is set to continue taking the PFL by storm. Meanwhile, Dvalishvili is currently aiming to dethrone reigning UFC bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley.
The pair are expected to face each other later in the year, with many declaring 'The Machine' a difficult stylistic matchup for 'Sugar.' His bottomless gas tank seems like the perfect kryptonite for O'Malley's less-than-stellar cardio. Meanwhile, Dvalishvili's high-level wrestling perfectly counters O'Malley's striking.
This is especially true given O'Malley's perceived vulnerability to grappling, which would not bode well for him against a foe coming off of a dominant win over an Olympic freestyle wrestling champion like Henry Cejudo.
Merab Dvalishvili has now beaten three UFC champions
While he has yet to capture UFC gold himself, Merab Dvalishvili has beaten three former titleholders, two of whom once held the promotion's bantamweight championship. He recently defeated Henry Cejudo, a former champion of the UFC's flyweight and bantamweight divisions, taking him to a unanimous decision.
Prior to that, he did the same to former UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan and all-time great former featherweight titleholder José Aldo. The Georgian star will look to continue his run of form against UFC champions when he takes on Sean O'Malley for the latter's bantamweight strap.