Merab Dvalishvili suffers broken foot days before Sean O'Malley rematch

It seems that Merab Dvalishvili trains with the same intensity he has during his fights after news broke that the UFC bantamweight champion has suffered a broken foot just weeks out from his first title defense.

'The Machine' has become a fan favorite with his relentless style inside the octagon, accompanied by his witty skits on social media. More people are beginning to sit up and take notice, but even with the recent surge in interest, the Georgian remains careless in his buildup to fights.

Several times, Merab Dvalishvili has hurt himself in the days and weeks leading up to an octagon appearance. Despite holding UFC gold and playing a key role in the company's next pay-per-view, Dvalishvili has sustained a worrying injury to his foot.

Posting on his Instagram story, the 34-year-old revealed what seemed to be a broken toe ahead of his headlining clash at UFC 316. 

According to the brief video, Merab Dvalishvili damaged his toe while throwing a head kick during a sparring session.

The grapple-heavy champion has been colliding with training partners as they try to imitate Sean O'Malley's style inside the cage. Dvalishvili will hope to keep hold of his crown next month, but this injury could prevent that.

Check out the video below.