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UFC Atlanta fighter controversially handed Merab Dvalishvili his last MMA loss

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Drew Beaupre | Last updated Jun 11, 2025 3:18 PM ET

The last MMA fighter to defeat UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili will be in action this Saturday at UFC Atlanta.

Ranked as the UFC’s #2 pound-for-pound fighter as of this week, Dvalishvili successfully defended his bantamweight belt for the second time last Saturday at UFC 316 when he submitted Sean O’Malley in the fourth round of their headlining title fight.

The victory was Dvalishvili’s second over O’Malley after he also took the bantamweight belt from him at UFC 306 last year, and “The Machine” is now on an incredible 13-fight win streak dating back to 2018.

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Ricky Simón Defeated Dvalishvili In 2018

Dvalishvili’s current winning run began with a unanimous decision over Terrion Ware at a UFC Fight Night event in September 2018, but newer fans may not be aware that it actually took three Octagon appearances for the 34-year-old to pick up his first UFC victory.

The UFC’s reigning bantamweight king made his promotional debut in 2017 and dropped a split decision to Frankie Saenz, and when Dvalishvili returned the following year he fell to 0-2 in the UFC when he took on promotional debutant Ricky Simón.

(MMA Junkie)

The two bantamweights ended up earning "Fight of the Night" honors for their incredible scrap. Things ended in controversial fashion when Simón locked up a mounted guillotine choke in the waning seconds, as the referee declared Simón the winner once the bell sounded despite the fact that Dvalishvili kept moving and never tapped to the submission.

Somehow he didn't tap pic.twitter.com/tBk6I2db3u
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) April 22, 2018

Simón Faces Short-Notice Opponent At UFC Atlanta

Simón’s UFC debut against Dvalishvili kicked off a 3-0 run to start his career with the promotion, and after “The Machine” defended the bantamweight title last weekend his former opponent was quick to remind fans about how their 2018 meeting played out.

Heading to the bar#UFC316 pic.twitter.com/K571uGq15I
— Ricky Simón (@RickySimonUFC) June 8, 2025

The 32-year-old eventually broke into the bantamweight Top 15 with a five-fight win streak that included three finishes, but that run was followed by a three-fight skid before Simón returned to the win column in February with a highlight-reel knockout against Javid Basharat that earned him a “Performance of the Night” bonus.

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The bantamweight veteran was originally scheduled to face Charles Jourdain this weekend at UFC Atlanta before Jourdain withdrew during fight week with a health issue, and now Simón will try to earn back-to-back wins when he takes on Cameron Smotherman in a short-notice matchup.