There's more to Merab Dvalishvili's game than just takedowns

Merab Dvalishvili is one of the most dominant wrestlers in MMA. He holds the UFC record for most takedowns landed with 92 in 14 fights. Colby Covington, a former college wrestler, is the next closest among active fighters with 70 takedowns landed, seventh most in the promotion's history. Covington has three more fights in the UFC than Dvalishvili.

In nine UFC fights that have gone a full three rounds, Dvalishvili has averaged 15.6 takedown attempts. In three career five-round bouts, that takedown average doubles to 31.3 attempts. By comparison, Georges St-Pierre, the fighter with the second-most takedowns landed at 90, averaged 7.8 attempts in 12 UFC fights that went the distance.

At first glance, Dvalishvili's outlandish takedown statistics might suggest that the UFC men's bantamweight champion has only one strategy -- wrestle opponents down to the mat and keep them fighting off their backs -- but there is much more to the 34-year-old's approach.

It's true that Dvalishvili leans on his strong wrestling background, but a hole in his wrestling-heavy fighting style has required him to blend in other areas of his game to stay atop the UFC's most talented division.

Here's a look at the three deceiving statistics to help put The Machine's increased fame and dominant championship run into perspective.

58.2% takedown accuracy

Dvalishvili's takedowns record -- one that will only grow as he continues fighting -- is well-known, but what isn't discussed is his 158 unsuccessful takedown attempts. That 58.2% takedown accuracy percentage does not rank in the top 10 in UFC history, but an argument can be made that his missed attempts are the driving force behind his wrestling-heavy fighting style.

For any fighter to land as many takedowns as Dvalishvili has, opponents must keep getting up after being put on the mat. Getting up forces opponents to defend the inevitable: more takedown attempts. And defending takedowns depletes energy. So imagine how exhausted opponents must feel when facing a fighter who averages nearly six successful takedowns per fight.

Former champion Petr Yan knows better than anyone how difficult it can be to fend off Dvalishvili inside the Octagon. Yan was on the wrong end of a record-setting 11 takedowns landed by Dvalishvili during their bout in March 2023. Dvalishvili's 49 attempted takedowns during that five-round fight was also a UFC record.

In the fight before that, Dvalishvili attempted to take José Aldo to the mat 16 times but didn't land a single one. He still won all three rounds.

2,202 total strikes landed

What gets lost in all of the discussion about Dvalishvili's wrestling and grappling ability is that his 2,202 total strikes landed lead the bantamweight division, according to UFC Stats.

Opponents consistently managing to work back to their feet allows the MMA champion to dip into his amateur Golden Gloves boxing roots. Whether opponents leave themselves open for strikes while defending takedown attempts or Dvalishvili sets up wrestling opportunities by landing strikes, his combination of volume striking and relentless wrestling has given each of his past 12 opponents fits.

Against Yan, all three judges scored every round of their five-round fight in favor of Dvalishvili. He also earned clean sweeps on the judge's scorecards against John Dodson, Gustavo Lopez, Brad Katona and Terrion Ware during his 12-fight winning streak.

8.3% finish rate

The key to Dvalishvili leading his division in both takedowns and strikes landed is his cardio. The Georgian probably enters the Octagon expecting each of his fights to go bell to bell, considering one of his 12 UFC wins has come via finish (8.3% rate).

Dvalishvili's ability to drag opponents into deep waters in the late rounds by continually pressing forward with strikes and shooting for takedowns only highlights his endurance. When an opponent's energy and will to fight begin to fade, that's when Dvalishvili looks to entertain the crowd.

We saw examples of this showmanship in his most recent fights against Sean O'Malley and Umar Nurmagomedov. After scoring two takedowns in Round 1, Dvalishvili put O'Malley on the mat again in the second round and mockingly kissed O'Malley's back. A few days later he posted on social media that did it to "show him who the daddy was of the fight." And in his title defense versus Nurmagomedov, Dvalishvili taunted the challenger multiple times throughout the fight.

Despite the well-known disdain MMA fans have for fighters who continually win by decision, Dvalishvili's unique blend of pace, volume striking, takedowns and showmanship has allowed him to break through and become a fan favorite -- even with 11 of his 12 wins inside the Octagon coming via unanimous decision.