Georgian MMA fighter Merab Dvalishvili successfully defended his UFC super bantamweight (61 kg) championship belt at UFC 316 in New Jersey, defeating American Sean O’Malley.

Dvalishvili set a high pace from the outset, pressuring his opponent throughout the bout. O’Malley searched for openings but ultimately fell short, with the 34-year-old Georgian securing victory in the third round.

Dvalishvili first claimed the title in September last year after defeating O’Malley. This marked his second successful title defense, following a win over Umar Nurmagomedov in January. Notably, U.S. President Donald Trump was in attendance at the event.

With this victory, Dvalishvili now holds a professional record of 20 wins and 4 losses in 24 MMA fights. It was his 13th consecutive win, tying him with legends such as Khabib Nurmagomedov, Demetrious Johnson, Georges St-Pierre, Max Holloway, and Jon Jones. Only Kamaru Usman and Islam Makhachev (15 wins), and Anderson Silva (16) have longer unbeaten streaks.

Dvalishvili’s last loss came in 2018. Since then, he has defeated four former UFC champions en route to the top of the super bantamweight division.