Merab Dvalishvili. Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Watch: Merab Dvalishvili hilariously calls out Dana White for mispronouncing his name

By Aaron Case | Last updated Dec 6, 2024 7:41 PM ET

As an international sport, the UFC roster is filled with names that might be hard for some people to pronounce. But you’d think UFC president Dana White would put in the time to learn how to say his cash cows’ monikers.

However, when White took to X to announce the co-main event for UFC 311, he butchered Merab Dvalishvili’s family name. White pronounced his bantamweight champion’s name as “Davishville” as he informed the world that the Georgian had met with him to accept a fight against No. 2 contender Umar Nurmagomedov.

Dvalishvili quickly responded with a pronunciation tutorial for White:

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A post shared by Merab Dvalishvili (@merab.dvalishvili)

“Hey, boss. Dana, now that our business meeting is done, I would like to come and have a friendly meeting with you to get to really know me—especially how to say my last name before the fight,” The Machine said in a video posted to his Instagram account. My last name is not ‘Davishville.’ My last name is ‘Dvalishvili.’ Love you, boss. I’m here always. Company boy.”

Merab is known for his fun-loving side. Whether he’s kissing opponents on the back in the octagon or affecting a professor persona to explain why he feels Nurmagomedov is an unqualified challenger, he’s always up to something silly.

All kidding aside, though, Nurmagomedov is a very serious challenge for Dvalishvili. Despite having defeated mostly no-name fighters to reach his No. 2 ranking, the Dagestani cousin of UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov is formidable.

He’s 18-0 as a professional fighter, trained by his legendary cousin and hungry for the belt.

Hopefully, Dvalishvili can put the humor aside for a bit and get serious about training to prove himself right about Nurmagomedov’s lack of experience.

Aaron Case

Aaron Case is a die hard Yankees fan from upstate New York who fuels his writing with too much coffee. When he's not riding the emotional roller coaster that is the MLB season, he's probably daydreaming and doodling or making beats. Follow him on X @AarontheCase1

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