Merab Dvalishvili Forced to Work Day Job Due to Paltry UFC Fighter Pay

UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili had to work a second job up until 2020 due to him barely making financial ends meet.

Dvalishvili earned the UFC bantamweight title by defeating Sean O’Malley at UFC 306. He used his wrestling and timely striking to frustrate O’Malley through five rounds.

Dvalishvili’s road to the top of the UFC bantamweight division wasn’t easy. A 2017 UFC debutant, Dvalishvili lost his first two fights to Ricky Simon and Frankie Saenz and appeared on the cusp of being a roster cut.

As Dvalishvili began his ongoing winning streak, he had to work construction jobs to make a sustainable financial living. Fighter pay is a hot-button issue in combat sports, particularly for Dvalishvili and others working their way up the hierarchy.

Merab Dvalishvili quit construction job in 2020

During a recent appearance on the Fight Back podcast, Dvalishvili revealed his path to a sustainable wage as a fighter.

“2020, when COVID hit,” Dvalishvili said. “Yeah, I was in UFC. So, I lost my first fight in UFC and we know how UFC pay, $10,000, and you still have to pay manager, some expenses, and I buy car, I was driving a very old car and then no money…

“Second fight, I got bonus, and I stopped working,” Dvalishvili continued. “But when my next fight comes I was broke again because I spent all this money and I’m like, now what? When I win the next one, I keep the money and start working because I don’t want this to happen again.” (h/t SportsKeeda)

Luckily for Dvalishvili, he’ll likely never have to pick up odd jobs to be financially stress-free again. As he prepares for his first title defense, Dvalishvili has a huge weight off of his shoulders.