When Jose Aldo defended all 16 takedown attempts from Merab Dvalishvili successfully at UFC 278 [VIDEO]
Newly crowned bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili has grown to become one of the most dominant wrestlers on the UFC roster. The Georgian fighter has dominated most of his UFC opponents on the ground.
However, former featherweight king Jose Aldo, who is known for his takedown defense, managed to thwart every single one of Dvalishvili's takedown attempts - a feat no one else has replicated so far.
At UFC 278 in August 2022, Dvalishvili defeated Aldo by unanimous decision in a bantamweight contest. The 33-year-old effortlessly closed the distance and controlled 'The King of Rio' against the cage for the majority of their three-round fight. However, Aldo displayed elite takedown defense and stuffed all 16 takedown attempts from Dvalishvili.
Check out the video below:
For the uninitiated, Aldo is widely regarded as the consensus greatest featherweight champion in UFC history. He successfully defended the WEC/UFC featherweight title nine consecutive times and also fought for the bantamweight title towards the end of his career.
The Brazilian is considered among the greatest anti-wrestlers in UFC history. His takedown defense has held up against elite wrestlers like Frankie Edgar, Chad Mendes, and Urijah Faber, among others. According to UFC statistics, Aldo's takedown defense stands at a staggering 91% after 21 UFC fights.
Merab Dvalishvili stunned Sean O'Malley with a strategic wrestling approach at Noche UFC 306
Merab Dvalishvili defeated Sean O'Malley by unanimous decision to capture the bantamweight title in the main event of Noche UFC 306 on Sept. 14. Dvalishvili is known for breaking his opponents down with relentless pressure. Against O'Malley, the Georgian changed things up and adopted a more measured approach to get in close range and impose his wrestling-heavy style.
Dvalishvili secured six takedowns in the five-round contest and outscored his opponent 214-49 in total strikes landed. O'Malley had his moments in the fight and appeared to have hurt the new champion with body kicks in the final round. However, he could not string together his trademark combinations or land intercepting shots to throw Dvalishvili off his wrestling-heavy game plan.
The judges scored the contest 49-46, 48-47 and 48-47 in Dvalishvili's favor, but reactions from fans and fellow fighters suggest a strong disagreement with the scorecards. According to the record books, Dvalishvili has secured 85 takedowns in his UFC career. Welterweight great Georges St-Pierre is the only fighter to land more takedowns (90) than Dvalishvili in the promotion's history.