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Merab Dvalishvili hits historic mark reached by Jon Jones and Khabib

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Mathew Riddle | Last updated Jun 9, 2025 7:00 AM ET

Merab Dvalishvili made his UFC bantamweight reign undeniable with a mauling finish over Sean O'Malley at UFC 316.

'The Machine' submitted O'Malley in the third round with an exceptionally rare north-south choke, putting a stamp on their rivalry once and for all. Now, he targets a defense against Cory Sandhagen, before considering rematches with some of his top contenders.

Dvalishvili quickly approaches the status of being the greatest UFC bantamweight champion of all time, with an incredible milestone achieved at UFC 316...

Kayla Harrison shares immediate reaction to winning UFC title

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Merab Dvalishvili ties fourth for longest UFC winning streak in history

With his win against O'Malley, Dvalishvili joins an elite club of UFC fighters to win 13 contests in a row. He is now tied-third for longest winning streak in the UFC, alongside fellow legends Demetrious Johnson, Max Holloway, Jon Jones, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Georges St-Pierre. [h/t ESPN MMA]

Merab Dvalishvili extends his incredible winning streak, which ties him for fourth longest in UFC history

He joins these legends whose longest winning streaks were 13 fights #UFC316 pic.twitter.com/oPTgVAiisn
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 8, 2025

Tied third is Kamaru Usman and Islam Makhachev with 15-fight streaks, and Anderson Silva takes the lead with 16 wins.

Jon Jones congratulates Merab Dvalishvili on joining exclusive UFC club

Of course, Jones could feasibly be on a 24-fight UFC winning streak, if not for his disqualification loss to Matt Hamill and no-contest against Daniel Cormier in 2017. This didn't stop 'Bones' from congratulating Dvalishvili in an X post on Sunday.

"Welcome and congratulations," He wrote.

Welcome and congratulations @MerabDvalishvil pic.twitter.com/n15bYZcdsc
— Jonny Meat (@JonnyBones) June 8, 2025

What makes Dvalishvili's accomplishment so special is the caliber of his opponents during his rise to the top. In his thirteen fights, five came against former UFC champions.

This article first appeared on MMA on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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