Georgian MMA star wins UFC Fighter of the Year ESPY Award 2025

Georgian mixed martial artist Merab Dvalishvili was honoured with the prestigious ESPY Award for “UFC Fighter of the Year 2025."

Dvalishvili, 34, triumphed over American Sean O’Malley in June at UFC 316, securing a third-round submission victory to successfully defend his UFC Bantamweight title, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The award saw stiff competition, with nominees including Russia’s Islam Makhachev, South Africa’s Dricus Du Plessis, and American Kayla Harrison.

 Dvalishvili’s standout performance during the award’s evaluation period (July 1, 2024, to June 20, 2025) included three title fight victories. He first captured the UFC bantamweight title by defeating Sean O’Malley via unanimous decision at UFC 306 on September 14, 2024.

In January 2025, at UFC 311, he defended his title against the previously undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov, winning by unanimous decision and earning a Fight of the Night bonus. Dvalishvili capped this period with a rematch against O’Malley at UFC 316 on June 7, 2025, securing a third-round submission via a north-south choke, his first UFC submission win since 2021, which also earned him a Performance of the Night award.

Known as "The Machine" for his relentless pace and exceptional cardio, Dvalishvili’s 13-fight win streak—tied for the fourth longest in UFC history—includes victories over former champions José Aldo, Petr Yan, Henry Cejudo, and O’Malley. His dominance in the bantamweight division, coupled with his record-breaking 92 takedowns in UFC history, solidified his case for the ESPY award.

By Khagan Isayev