When Merab Dvalishvili shocked everyone by climbing a railing to confront abusive fan during live UFC event
UFC men's bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili, who is known to be fairly level-headed, once lost his cool with a fan during a UFC card last year.
The event in question was UFC San Antonio in March 2023, which was headlined by Cory Sandhagen vs. Marlon 'Chito' Vera. 'The Machine' was in attendance on the night, as the bout had ramifications for the top of the 135 pound division.
Following the event, Dvalishvili was walking backstage when he overheard a fan from the rafters right by the entrance/exit door. The fan was calling out the Georgian-American for not wanting to face Aljamain Sterling, as both he and Sterling had ruled out fighting one another due to their friendship.
During the video, the fan said:
"After he [Sterling] whips Cejudo's a*s, I want you to get in the octagon with him in San Antonio."
Merab Dvalishvili couldn't contain his rage and began attempting to climb the stage in order to get to the fan. Whilst climbing, the 33-year-old shouted back:
"You mother f*cker, I will f*ck your face okay!"
Watch the video here:
Thankfully, Dvalishvili didn't make the climb as security intervened and prevented him from getting his hands on the fan.
The bantamweight contender also didn't face any repercussions from the UFC brass for his actions.
Merab Dvalishvili predicts how potential title fight with Sean O'Malley will go down
Merab Dvalishvili has reiterated to fans that he's not underestimating Sean O'Malley, with the pair expected to throwdown before the end of 2024.
'The Machine' recently cemented himself as the No.1 contender for the bantamweight title with a dominant win over Henry Cejudo in February. The victory extended his undefeated streak to 10 and now finds himself at the top of the divisional rankings.
Ahead of his potential bout against O'Malley, Dvalishvili spoke to Sportskeeda MMA and discussed their match-up. The Georgian-American, who appears to hold a significant advantage when it comes to wrestling, reminded fans that anything can happen during an MMA bout, and wouldn't be surprised if he was taken to the canvas by 'Sugar'.
Dvalishvili said:
"Yeah, one of the good wrestlers, yes. But hey, don't be surprised if Sean O'Malley takes me down. It's MMA man, it's MMA. I'm humble and everything is possible here..."
In regards to his own strategy, he added:
"First, I'm going to wrestle a little bit and after[wards] I'm going to strike and knock him out standing."