Merab Dvalishvili clears up issue with Islam Makhachev following UFC 330 reaction

Merab Dvalishvili has no beef with Islam Makhachev, despite what Makhachev seems to believe.

A recent clip of Makhachev speaking to Russian reporters showed the UFC welterweight champion accusing Dvalishvili of being critical of his success. Makhachev recently successfully defended his title against Ian Machado Garry in the main event of UFC 330, and Dvalishvili’s live reaction to the fight rubbed Makhachev the wrong way.

On Wednesday, Dvalishvili released a statement on social media looking to clear the air between him and Makhachev, and explain what it is about Makhachev’s outing that he actually took umbrage with.

“I like Islam Makhachev,” Dvalishvili said. “I think he’s a great and humble champion. I respect all the hard work he has put into his career, I have nothing but respect for him. I congratulated Islam after the fight. I also congratulated him on my social media.

“But when I saw his team bring the Russian flag into the Octagon, I was upset. And the reason I reacted that way is because, first, during all five of my UFC title fights, I was never allowed to bring my Georgian and American flag into the cage. I also want to make one thing very clear: I don’t hate Russian people. I hate Russian politics and Russian government.”

Dvalishvili went on to give a brief summary of the history between his native Georgia and Russia, which dates back to the 1500s. Specifically, Dvalishvili raised the issue of Russian occupation and how it has affected the Georgian population, as well as Russia’s ongoing conflict with Ukraine.

“My problem is with the government and its action, not with ordinary Russian people,” Dvalishvili said. “Russia occupies around 20 percent of Georgia and there has been history of war, occupation, suffering against my Georgian people. Russia has also been responsible for terrible violence in Chechnya, and they are still killing people in Ukraine.

“The Russian media is always asking me provocative questions, but they will never translate this video honestly or show what I’m actually saying, because it doesn’t fit the narrative they want to create. Reality is the Russian government is dictator and corruption. There is no freedom of speech and if you protest anything in Russia, you go to jail. This is the facts.”

The former bantamweight champion, who is set to vie for the title again when he meets Russia’s Petr Yan in a trilogy bout at UFC 333 on OCt. 24, emphasized he has great respect for Makhachev and his team, many of whom hail from the Caucusus region of Russia.

While Dvalishvili does have an ongoing feud with Makhachev training partner Umar Nurmagomedov, that animosity doesn’t extend to Makhachev.

“And for me, the people of the Caucasus—Dagestan, Chechnya, Ingushetia, and other parts of the region—have their own identities, cultures, and histories,” Dvalishvili said. “I respect the people of the Caucasus.

“So again, this was never about Islam personally.”