Merab Dvalishvili may have lost his bantamweight title to Petr Yan last December, but his standing among fans remains strong, as his run as champion earned widespread respect.
He defended the belt four times in a single year, falling to ‘No Mercy’ in the last of those fights.
His consistency helped build a loyal following that continues to support him, and that connection with fans was clear again in a viral clip that quickly spread online, showing a different side of the former champion.
Merab Dvalishvili climbs building to meet fan in viral moment
Dvalishvili climbed up from the ground floor of a building to take a picture with a fan who was cleaning windows.
While the height was not significant, he did so without any safety equipment, creating a potential risk if he had slipped.
The moment was shared by streamer Stephania Ergemlidze, and it also showed Dvalishvili reassuring the fan.
“Don’t be nervous brother. I’m just a regular guy like you. 7 years ago I was working construction too,” he said.
Trilogy with Petr Yan expected next for Merab Dvalishvili
Attention now turns to Dvalishvili’s next fight in the UFC.
He has been waiting for Yan to recover from a back injury before confirming their trilogy bout, and ‘No Mercy’ has already shared footage of himself back in training in recent weeks.
In that context, the fight is expected to take place in the summer, with July or August mentioned as likely dates.