Merab Dvalishvili vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov UFC stats comparison stirs fiery debate among MMA fans: "Excluding him from GOAT conversations"

Merab Dvalishvili’s name is climbing fast in the GOAT debates, and the numbers behind his seven-year run are adding real weight to the conversation. A comparison now circulating among fans shows Dvalishvili sporting a 13-0 streak in his past seven years, outpacing Khabib Nurmagomedov’s iconic stretch.

Moreover, according to the UFC stat book, Dvalishvili has landed 97 takedowns in the UFC, more than any fighter in history. That puts him ahead of legends like Georges St-Pierre and Gleison Tibau. His wrestling-heavy style and durability have helped him topple elite names including Sean O'Malley, Henry Cejudo, Petr Yan, and Jose Aldo.

Several fans took to X to weigh in on the debate, with one of them writing:

"Khabib retiring early will wind up excluding him from GOAT conversations when it’s all said and done. The next generation is incredible."

Below are the other reactions:

"If you purely look at the resumes, this isn’t even a conversation."

"I think the better question is who's higher, Islam [Makhachev] or Merab."

"As long as you all still talk about Khabib and compare his resume to every recent champion after his retirement 5 years ago, he'll still be greater than any new champion. If he's that bad, forget him. Stop talking about him."

"You lot [are] always bringing out Khabib and comparing him with anyone at this point. Khabib has the streets, all-time great fighters always put him in the highest spot. Look at [Kamaru] Usman, [Israel] Adesanya, all-time great resumes, but nobody remembers them now, always Khabib."

Check out some of the fan reactions below:

Fans weigh in on ongoing Merab Dvalishvili vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov GOAT status debate. [Screenshots courtesy: @DovySimuMMA and @CharlieQuinnMMA on X]

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Tom Aspinall calls Merab Dvalishvili "unstoppable" after dominant win over Sean O'Malley

Tom Aspinall was full of praise for Merab Dvalishvili after his submission win against Sean O'Malley at UFC 316. He pointed out that no one in the division matches up well with Dvalishvili’s style.

The Georgian bantamweight overwhelms opponents with constant pressure and an unorthodox stand-up game. His pace is unmatched as he chains takedown attempts and keeps working from bell to bell.

Reacting to Dvalishvili's win on his YouTube channel, Aspinall said:

"Merab just doesn't stylistically match up with anybody else in the division. He's just overwhelm's guys. He just keeps going, won't stop. He has that weird herky-jerky standup style. Does 50 takedowns per round. He never stops working for 25 minutes. To me, [Merab] looks unstoppable right now. And 'The Machine' is the best nickname that you can have for a guy like this... I want Merab's cardio. Merab, show me what's what. Get me in that kind of shape. I'm ready for it."

Check out Tom Aspinall's comments below (5:55):