- The Georgian government gifted Merab Dvalishvili 1 million or almost $370K for winning a UFC title
- “The Machine” reportedly wants to use the money on charities and building MMA facilities in Georgia
Merab Dvalishvili was gifted with 1 million by the Georgian government as prize for his UFC 306 title victory.
The prize of a champion
A few weeks after dethroning Sean O’Malley to become the new UFC bantamweight champion, “The Machine” received 1 million (almost $370,000) cash from the Georgian government to express token of appreciation for the honor Dvalishvili gave his country.
According to Georgian MMA reporter Giorgi Kokiashvili, Dvalishvili plans to donate some of the money to charities and build MMA facilities in his home soil.
“Government of Georgia gifted Merab Dvalishvili a million Georgian Lari for becoming the UFC Champion. (approx. $367,666) Merab Dvalishvili said that he will give this money to charities and develop the MMA Teams and BJJ/Judo/Wrestling clubs in order to raise more UFC Champions in Georgia,” Kokiashvili wrote on X.
🚨 Government of Georgia gifted Merab Dvalishvili a million Georgian Lari for becoming the UFC Champion. (approx. $367,666)
Merab Dvalishvili said that he will give this money to charities and develop the MMA Teams and BJJ/Judo/Wrestling clubs in order to raise more UFC… pic.twitter.com/IkjJQUKPMp
— Giorgi Kokiashvili 🇬🇪 (@iHeartGeorgius1) September 30, 2024
Merab doesn’t want to be broke again
As it stands, Dvalishvili has an estimated net worth of over $1 million and it’s safe to say, being broke again is the last thing the reigning bantamweight champion would ever like to be. In fact, “The Machine” previously reflected on his struggles early on in his UFC career, revealing he had to work different jobs just to survive and stay afloat.
The dominant win over O’Malley at UFC 306 saw Dvalishvili improving his winning streak to 11 in a row, one of the most in UFC history.
