Merab Dvalishvili’s life is a story of endurance, both inside and outside the cage. The 34-year-old Georgian-American fighter has climbed the mountain of the UFC bantamweight division, defeating names like José Aldo, Petr Yan, and Henry Cejudo. At UFC 306, he captured the UFC Bantamweight Championship by defeating Sean O’Malley and hasn’t looked back since. Now, he’s on a 13-fight win streak and ranks third in the UFC’s pound-for-pound list.

But when it comes to his personal life, it seems love hasn’t been as easy to conquer. Now, ahead of his third title defense against Cory Sandhagen at UFC 320, fans aren’t just talking about his wrestling. They’re asking something far more personal: is ‘The Machine’ married, dating, or still single?

Is Merab Dvalishvili married? Does he have a girlfriend?

Merab Dvalishvili‘s love story began in his home country of Georgia, where his MMA career first took off. Despite his outwardly happy and comedic demeanor, the Georgian star has shown a serious side in matters of the heart. At one point, he even considered leaving MMA to pursue a more conventional life. Dvalishvili thought about getting a regular job, settling down with a Georgian woman, and living a normal life. However, things just didn’t click romantically for the bantamweight champion.

“I was thinking no I should just maybe [quit]. I have a lot of fights in Georgia. I have not fights in here like if I don’t go [to the] UFC I must quit but I was thinking, ‘Yeah I will be just normal guy, I will just go like regular job, I will focus on job’,” Merab Dvalishvili revealed during an interview on 7 Days Out. “I will go [get] married and I try all that. I tried marrying a Georgian traditional girl, wasn’t working. She wasn’t my type, she was somewhere else, and I tried to go club with my friends, [to] restaurants. I did all that fun but I wasn’t happy.’”

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Despite the challenges Merab Dvalishvili faced in his search for a life partner, they didn’t deter him from continuing his quest for love. While we don’t have the latest updates on the 34-year-old’s current relationship status, it’s clear that he’s always been open to the possibility of finding a special someone.

Merab Dvalishvili talks about his dating life

Although Merab Dvalishvili does not highlight his relationships, his social media accounts lack romantic posts and only feature updates about his training and other ventures. This suggests that the Georgian native is currently not in a relationship or married. Despite his efforts, meanwhile, Dvalishvili has faced many relationships that never progressed further, leaving him somewhat unlucky in love, much like Ted Mosby from the sitcom How I Met Your Mother.

In an interview with UFC figure Nina Marie-Daniele, ‘The Machine’ disclosed, “All the girls I was dating or texting, left me.” With this information, we can assume that our favorite UFC fighter might be a heartthrob for many, but finding his life partner may take a bit longer.

But those close to him say he deeply values loyalty and connection. His friendship with former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling is proof. The two have shared a brotherly bond since training together at Serra-Longo MMA. Dvalishvili even refused to fight for the title while Sterling held the belt, a move that earned him widespread respect in the MMA world. Maybe one day he’ll find someone who matches that energy outside the cage. But for now, his only true partner is the fight game.