FULL SEND PODCAST - Merab Dvalishvili | Ep. 165

Episode Date: August 28, 2025

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Let's get into the podcast. All right, guys. Welcome back to another episode of the FullSem podcast. We have a very special guest, the champion Marab, in the house today. How are we doing? Very good. How are you? Good, bro.

We just hit a fucking tough-ass workout. I hit up Marab and I said, we want to do the machine conditioning routine. I don't think we did the full thing, though, right? What was that, like, 1-8? Yeah, something like that. But, you know, that's why I always balance, you know, depends how much time I have. depends how much workout I'd done before and then depends how much training

I have next day you know that's why I always balance I don't like to go training with you have CPI they have good coaching from shaking shake I don't know what's the how say striking condition how do you say strength and conditioning yeah they have good coaches but they sometimes they do push too much

and they don't know what training you have next and what training you done before that's why I always feel myself so now whatever time we had we use it good you know So you don't have like a head coach that structures your entire training program because a lot of other fighters, they have that, right? They have it, they trust, but, you know. But you've never had someone like that? No, like my friend Aljo, he always training, he does his own training, you know. He feels his body and I pretty much do the same, you know.

I do have a coach. I mean, of course I have a coach in Long Island where we used to training, Ray Longo and Metsera. and I have here coach John Wood, he's a gym owner, and whatever I'm sparring, he's watching my sparring, and he gives me structures, like, and then after the sparring, he told me maybe you should do this, whatever you did this one good, but I go jiu-jitsu my own, I lift weights my own, I run my own, you know,

and I don't have to tell him anything like that. You know, I'm a professional fighter, and I do all my stuff, you know? You and Aljo, how much do you guys train, together and help each other you guys seem like obviously to the public eye now that i'm hanging out with you guys you guys have a very special friendship right i mean we always train together in long island we know we used to train together and then aljo moved here in vegas and i moved we pretty much always training together whenever he has a fight you know i try to help him much as i can like you know usually especially now he moved up weight class he usually he usually

training with bigger guys, different style guys, but I always jump like at least two rounds or something in the sparring or, you know, he likes training with me because in a push and then cardio and stuff, like we always push each other, you know? So, and then me, you know, Aljo always mimicates you every time I fight either Piterion or Shono Mali or he give me either better look than he likes to mimicate fighters, you know? He gives me good look for my next opponent, you know. Let's say, yeah, now I'm going to fight Corey Sanger. I'm sure Aljo will help me too, and he's going to mimic a switch stance like Corey Sanger does, and sometimes fly knee. And then if we go down, the Cori Sanger likes to attack the leg, and I'm sure

Al Jaldo will mimicate him, you know, stuff like this. What did you think of Aljo's performance you were there in China, right? A beautiful performance. I dominate five rounds, you know. And then, I mean, I love Brian Ortega and then I actually feel bad for him, but, you know, so Aljo did what he was supposed to do. And then you can see Brian Ortega's face after the fight. And then you see Aljo, only damage Aljo had, he landed his elbow to him and then he hurt himself. But, yeah, that was like a very good performance. He beat the top opponent. biannautega was the title challenger two times and um i think aljo deserved title fight uh after

this because especially uh in top five now there is uh ia rodriguez and there is uh Diego lopez but they both had chance fight for the berth they both lost you know and then now aljo this aljo versus folk would be a a big fight i feel fight yes that would be a very good fight Yeah, Aljo is a former champion, like 23 fights in UFC and it was a big name. Even Aljo fought Mossar and then a lot of people think Aljo wins too. But, you know, even if you look at, if you look at the fight close, Aljo maybe lost this fight because of last one in a half minutes, 90 seconds, because Aljo got reversed and he got stuck in like paramp position.

and that's um but you know yeah so how was china good actually know it's much better than what i was expecting you know it's a big country big buildings big roads and uh very clean and uh lots of chinese people probably right yeah and they just i heard they just felt like is they do not speak english at all right no it's a very like it's a big language barrier yes it's not like it's not like one like Mexico or something we're like they know a bit of English yeah like they're Chinese over there right yeah exactly and it's not even close you know like you know they have totally different like accents and language and they don't understand you know maybe in Mexico or some other country you can talk with the hands or something but

over there they they saw you they a first day we have like a very big problems we we go some place that we want to eat like a small restaurant but we can't even order yeah and then because you can't read the menu yeah and then we just touch some foods they bring spicy food something you know what you got to eat you know you hungry so yeah but but let me tell the one thing so but like and then I go one supermarket I buy some ice cream and chocolate for me and my friend Dennis Bezukia and then the the the seller Chinese guys He recommend me, and then he give me, he don't let me pay.

I'm like, bro, let me pay. What are you doing? This is, you know, China. But he was just wrestling with me that he don't want to me pay. He don't let me pay. He's just taking care of me, imagine, like, in China. Do you think he knew you? Yeah.

Like he was a fan? Yeah, and then some guys was there also. Like, you know, some guys that maybe, yeah. You know, the guy. Actually, I was there a day before, and he asked me some questions, though. the next day when i go then he don't let me pay wow yeah that's crazy and then you know we was at another like a barbecue place restaurants and also next to us it was some chinese guys drinking beer whatever and then and then we were just toasting we have a good time with them

like they was just super cool did you guys have any drinks over there or no i don't i only drink after i'll just fight we i'll jump in the new barrel funk harbor and we just drink that just one one one one glass that's crazy we might go there soon to film a video uh in china yeah well interesting you rec so you recommend it yeah i mean ufcpi is the best in china they have a p i there yes this is the biggest way better than this whatever we have in las vegas wow and the food is so much better in ucpia really i i will say most uh good things from china that was ucpa like training gym

damn we got to go there if we go to China it's good so your upcoming fight versus Corey Sandhagen how are you feeling about this fight in terms of like

where do you think this ranks amongst difficulty I always look like that my next fight always is my toughest challenge and always my biggest

fight you know especially me and Corey Sangan we never fought each other before his new challenger he's I'm sure he's very hungry to beat the champion and he wants to take my belt you know Corey has

a lot of wins in my way class he beat the guys like um sogidong he beat uh uh uh franki edgar he beat um tamini chito vera and lot a lot of good guys and i can't remember names but he always he only lost he had he with aljo and um title fight close fight close fight against peterian he lost to umar too now yeah he actually yeah and then yeah exactly but he did give it did give him very good fight and then we know the style makes fight and um it's gonna be hard style for me because he he moves a lot on his foot and um he also if you take him down he attacks legs you know and he popped tj delisho's knee and he popped pigerado's knee and then pigerado give up you know right after like after that

figured to tap out, you know. So, yeah, I have to be smart and, you know, that's my job to prepare preparation good, you know. In the paper, I should win, but me, I want to just be best version of myself. Because I think a lot of fans are now looking at Marab and they're saying, how do you beat this guy? You know what I'm saying? Because I think when you first fought Sugar, you were the underdog.

Yeah. You beat him. And I flew Umar, yeah. The Umar fight was, that was, I think, a decisive. change on the way that people saw you right because that was supposed to be I mean I was so pumped for that fight I was honestly more pumped for that fight than it was supposed to be Islam and Armand but that co-main event I feel like that was one of the biggest co-main events ever in UFC history in terms of hype because you just didn't know who was going to win and then yeah in the last two rounds you just kind of you really showed that you were the better guy that night right yeah yeah so after that it's kind of like now people are looking at you and they're just like how do you yeah how do you beat you exactly but in you know I don't want to put in my head this so people yeah exactly everybody like oh you got this easy you know before I have so much pressure you know me people winning every fight and then I wanted to fight for the belt right and then

not only fight for the belt I wanted to win the fight you know a lot of people got title fight but they never win the belt and and so and I have a pressure on me because I I was never champion before and I won't accomplish that and and so when I fought first time Shono Mali I know I was better fighter than him but I I was very smart and came first fight and I was arranged the distance and I play very smart and I win the belt but yeah people was like I don't know yeah they're questionable like people still like don't understand too but yeah you're right like after a rumor fight they realized they are no real deal and uh and then next next shenumali fight

even people was thinking oh first time we are lucky something like that and then when i make statement and now now everybody like things oh yeah like nobody can beat me but uh it's a it's a m m m ms everybody it's style makes fight and everybody is beautiful you know it depends the day depends the time depends the little details you know and that they're like little details you know and That's why I want to train even more hard than what I was training before. And because, like I said, one punch can change everything. And especially, according to Tiger got like a crazy knockout with Pliny. He knocked out Frankie Edgar and then spinning back kick against Marlon Morais.

And he's a very top guy. I remember, I think that was his debut maybe. Maybe he was fighting against somebody, Brazilian. The guy had him in an arm bar, like, triangle, something. He was hammering the guy not quit, you know? I think he got finished only one time against Aljo. Otherwise, he's pissed, you know. What was the most personal of the last few fights?

Was it Umar? Of course, Umar, because... That one, because you seemed like in the press conferences, you were like, you were visibly, like, kind of fired up. Yeah, because, um, um, um, um, um, um, i know him a long time and i always show him my respect and as a man you know like we we don't can we don't care anything else we just want to respect you know just and especially you know i was fighting all his next contenders and i got here for my work you know and umumar he's a good

fighter but he got pushed because of uh he's kavs cousin and that's hyped him you know but but Like, and so, and then when he disrespect me, I was mad about that, you know. So go back to Omar, there is so many good fighters in UFC, like Pautista, but he has to work to get what he deserved and everybody else. You know, there is the other guys also. They work very hard, but because of their own cousin like Habib, you know, they don't give him title fight, you know. so and then and he was disrespecting me and um and especially in twitter and the internet and

yeah i was very mad about him and that was personal for sure he's kind of gone a bit quiet since yeah yeah but it's almost like a kind of scary quiet like i haven't heard he hasn't has he tweeted or he i think you really like he's in the dungeons of daga stand training right now think like you must have really fired him up right after that loss i think so because i haven't seen much from him yeah bro he was talking too much even even the uh press conference day thursday oh when we had pace open and then i take a picture with the belt and whatever and he said last picture last picture he was keep pointing on me that i was taking with the belt like last picture like and that's like stupid from him you know

you know and uh but if he deserved title fight again if we fought again i will destroy him now this time i will beat the share of him you know first flight you know now the next fight i will yeah why do you think because you've just improved that much even more i win and then now i can talk about this i was injured like my back was killing me and then i had infection on my leg and then and then uh that was very stressful training camp and uh and uh But yeah, next, next fight if I have to fight him, you know. That's what I was going to ask. Yeah, he, you know.

So who do you think he fights next? I think I know who is going to fight next. He's the top guy from UFC. And this guy should have a title fight, the guy who's fighting him. So, yeah. You think it'll be Jan versus Omar? No. Oh.

Oh, no, that's other guy. I think Bautista is fighting. umar umar yeah and uh yeah so um yeah let's see how he does and then me i want to i want a quick turn around yeah you told me this earlier yeah so you're nuts i don't overlook coli san hegan so it's a tough it's gonna be tough fight but god willing i'm gonna uh do my best to win this fight and if i win i want to come back quick turn around and i want to fight in december i will ask ufc favor to Give me another fight in December or even November, I don't care. I can come back.

Because Peter Ian is clear contender right now, you know? He deserve it, you know? I don't want to make him wait too long. I can take a quick turn around and fight him. And then after we'll see who will be next get-ended. But you dominated you on the first fight. Yeah. I was actually at that fight.

That was at that special arena too, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Where was that? Virginia Hotel. Yeah. Here in Vegas. I got lucky because I was supposed to be in APIC. I was there.

You were picking them up and slamming them and... Yeah, I did good, you know. Because actually the before a war fight, that fight was more stressful and most personal fight for me because he was also disrespect me and then, you know, he's from the country, Russia, and Russia has occupied my country 20% percent. 20% territory and it's like always, you know, it's personal, you know, and it's like I don't have nothing against people, but, you know, I have a problem with the government and politicians and the people who don't respect my country and who thinks it's okay, you know, it's okay, it's okay, you know, I can come Georgia, enjoy, drink Georgian wine, eat Georgian food, that's fine. if Russia has occupied our country. But if some people feels bad and feel sorry about war, feel sorry about what's going on, and then the Russia is a dictator country, you know, it's not

democratic. You know, if you protest something, you go jail, you know. You cannot say anything about the government. And then anyway, but if people feel sorry about what's going on, then I respect my respect for them. But And people don't give a shit about that and they've been bullied and like this and I have a problem. So Peterian was acting like a bully and especially he was very disrespectful for before. And that was personal fight for me and before the fight I have no idea how I was supposed to fight him. Because like usually every fight I have a plan, you know, sometimes, you know, against Josie Aldo. I was not trying, I was not planning to wrestling with him because he, you know,

know it's hard to take him down but that's why i was like striking pressure pulled against the wall even marlon morris i was thinking that he's a black belt jiu-jitsu and i don't want to take him down you know i don't want to get cut in submission and i was striking he got he dropped me he tk him not tk a me like knock down he knocked down me and after i had to wrestle and i have to go for it so every fight i have a different like a plan but against petarian fight i don't have a plan because i'm like how i'm gonna i was scratching my head how i'm gonna fight him you know because he has a good take down defense he's a great tryker and then and he's a dog right he's dog and i'm like how i'm gonna fight this

motherfucker you know and then i think you had a good game plan and then so day before when we make wane wait and then he pushed me and then i'm like the my mind open i and then i realized how I'm gonna make you like I'm gonna teach you I'm gonna so it seems like if you shouldn't talk shit to Marab yeah I think so yeah because everyone that tries to talk shit seems like it doesn't really work out right yeah because you seem like such an like you are a great guy obviously but it seems like when someone disrespects you you like yeah you kind of flip a little bit of a switch right I think so yeah because yeah it shows that after Peterian's fight and after I can't do much better against Umar but it's okay I mean I win next time I'm I'm telling you if

if you have to fight again I'll be honest I think you're gonna fight again at some point okay because I don't think you're gonna lose and he's probably you know one of the best and unless he fights sugar first yeah how do you think that would play out I mean every fight is different of course like depends the but I want to recommend this fight for sugar I know it's still a little bit risky just because of my is wrestling yeah sugar has a big reach he has a knack of power for show a good distance he knows how to stop like this but umar he knows wrestling he's good with back taking and stuff like this I mean I think sugar should fight like anybody

else but not wrestling do you think he's still like the biggest star in the division or number two yeah he is and he is and he is and he is He's actually a good fighter, man. First fight, I was game, you know. I was, like, a very game, you know, like take him down, stay on top, wait for my take-down opportunities. Second fight, I was just pressuring and pressuring and waiting, opening him for takedown and take him down

and just make him tired. And then after, actually, after the second round, I grabbed the neck, but when I heard the bell, 10 second bell and I don't squeeze because I don't want to make him think about I was going to choke and I just let him go and then but there round I looked at about clock and it was like more than 30 second whatever and then that's where I go and finish so anyway he's a good fighter but I will say he can fight anyone else but not umma who would you like to see him fight next

after i would beat peterian he should fight peterian i guess yon versus omali too would be big because of their his three tight yeah their their first fight was very close yeah that would be good fight yeah and i think omali grow up after that a lot because you know he's gonna go up no he grow up a lot oh grow up you know no he was always good fighter but he wasn't fighting fighting like a top uh top 10 or top 15 fighters big for peterion and then one you know that was like one big step for him in not fight like former champion and then very top guy peterian and especially like uh close to his country the fight was in abdab and uh he did very good against him and um and after um they they give him best opportunity you know right time right where title fight i wanted to get your take

on I saw something Kabib said recently I think it was yesterday he said that he thinks that Armand would really beat Ilya in a fight nobody knows this but Habib usually he's good you know he's smart and he knows fight but this time I don't agree with him because Ilya has a good take down the fans you know he stops take down you know he's a good wrestler I train with him and I try to shoot him taking down by I can't really yeah so even you trained with him and you couldn't take him down no wow you know he comes forward he pressures you and he wants to make you to fight back you know like like strike with him oh that's where you make

mistake if you strike with him that's where he got you so either you have to walk backward and run from him and keep trying to shoot and take him down which is impossible or they have to strike with him like like like Max Holloway did like wakanoski did or like Oliver did and we all see what will happen do you think that's what the next fight will be for ilia armand because a lot of people are saying i mean it was your card that it happened that he pulled out on the back did he just not make weight yeah right i can say he probably but that's like a big but you can't pull up the day before the fight with the injury right yeah like you could pull it like a week before with the injury

because how do you get injured on way and day unless it's like a weight cut thing so like how he said he was he was feeling pain his back back but that's what we all deal with you know the when we make weight that's we have this feeling bro every time like day before i'm i'm feeling i'm dying and then if you saw me that me cutting weight you think this guy how this guy will fight because I'm like even I do myself usually I don't want to nobody saw me because how I usually run to the Chadman with a lot of clothes on and then I just killing myself and after I'm just dead all night waiting for wains and I'm like I can't breathe I can't move sometimes like two times I pass out after

so when I was fighting in Henny Sehudo that way it cut I pass out first time in my life and people who are fighters, so I pass out because now I know why, because usually I have a, you know, son-a-suit, what's they call, son-suit? Yeah. What those things that they zip you guys up in? Yeah, like, it's like a plastic, you know, inside. But usually I have a t-shirts and a son-suit, and then I run with it. But I guess those two times, I have a. I mean, I don't have a t-shirts inside.

I have just, like, I was naked and a son-a-suit. And when, once I stopped running after 25 minutes, when I, usually, usually where I sit or I just lay down and put some, like, clothes on me on top because I want to continue sweating. When I sit, this son-a-suit is hot, you know? You can breathe inside. Because when I have a t-shirt, his t-shirt is wet, and then it's not

it doesn't make you too hard I guess makes you hard but I guess but with that I can't breathe you know with a son-asud and like and I don't want to take off because I don't have more energy to running in the morning

you know I want to try my best to don't take clothes off but I was past and then after like I called I scream to my friend Wato and I said come come I'm like I'm dying I need your help and

i you know i lay down and i crazy and so um so what i'm saying is so the weight cutting is the hardest part and then everybody have a hard time doesn't matter uh that's the thing i know i don't think i'll ever understand how you guys do that oh this is crazy yeah this is really imagine like now whatever i am i have to cut 20 pounds more and i do this only last six days you know i know some guys start like a diet and whatever like two months before but i kind of do like a kind of old style like i just uh don't drink last today and don't eat last today and i work out people talk about how dangerous that is right for the body but there's no like what would the solution to that even be like weighing in on the day of the fight instead of i guess it's

always been part of the sport any combat sports right i i fought in golden gloves in box and the wayne was two hours before but I was still cutting like 15 pounds you know so people still even they change the rules in one FC but they still cut weight

and I think wrestling also they change the rules they still cut weight so there is no solution yeah no I don't think so or at least if they check your body walk out weight and then you fight but it's impossible that's why I guess I guess I don't think it's possible to change and that's why it's difficult you know like that's why it's like a lot of people don't want to do this because

this is only a few people can do that's why we have like they give us like training camp like two three months because you need to prepare some people needs to prepare it like I tell you I need only just six days to make weight but if you tell me six days before they have to fight in in six days yeah I will fight it yeah Marab told me that during our workout, we just did, is he only needs six days to get ready to fight. Yeah. Because you just stay ready all the time.

Yeah. Now I'm a champion, and I mean, UFC not going to make me fight in six days, but like, yeah, like I said, I mean, one day if I lose the belt and I can't take fight in six days. And I did one time, it was COVID time, and I was here in Vegas. helping Al Jemma is telling my friend to his fight and some UFC asked me to if I was fighting

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Shout out to MoonPay, the best crypto app in the game. Let's get back in the pod. Who do you think wins if Islam and Toporia fight? And do you think that fight will ever happen? I hope it's going to happen. And it's going to be tough fight for Elia. For sure, it won't be easy. but ilia have a big chance like i said before uh ilia make you either shoot him

like a wrestling which is he will stop or ilia will go forward and ilia no islam has to strike with him and then striking we all know that how ilia fights and how dangerous he is and how knockout power he have so it's going to be tough fight for ilia for sure like Every fight is, but I believe he can finish Islamahachu. I wanted to get your take on the new UFC deal, switching over to Paramount Plus, and the no pay-per-view's gone now. Does that excite you as a fighter? Yes, for sure. Like, yeah, it's good.

Like, there will be no paper. Even more people watch now every fight. And, of course, UFC is a big company, and they know what they're doing. And, yeah, this is good, good for us. like you know um yeah like now everybody can watch our fights and uh yeah but what happens of the pay-per-view points for the champ do you get like paramount plus points now or something yeah i get paper view points but it's not much and then now i think everybody stalling you know who's stalling the people like people like young people you know whatever they everybody's

streaming right oh oh they're like watching the fights illegally yeah yeah yeah Yeah, yeah, yeah. So this is going to help solve that a lot. Yeah, this way, they won't, you know, there is no pay-per-view, you know. So, I mean, I get pay-privile points, but it's not much, you know, saying, like, it's not much, unfortunately. Like, I mean, I think most Habib and Conan McGregor sells, they sell 2.2 million.4, I believe, and everybody else, not much, not even million. or something else you know so and then that way like this way i mean our sport will grow up even better and then to i think it's good good good good decision from ufc this is you know this is it's going to be big because some of the fights are just straight on cbs too

yeah which is like that i mean dana said the white house card potentially might not even be behind the paywall it might just be on CBS, which would be like anyone in America can watch that for free. Is the White House card something you'd want to be a part of? Yeah, I would love to.

So you've got to time your fights accordingly then for the next July. Like I tell you, I need six days to fight, you know? I have no problem. I have no problem. I'm willing to fight in October and then fight November or December. I have no problem

with that. I love fighting. and then to fight for ufc's blessing and to fight in um in uh such a special event uh white house that would be great and yeah right now like immense division i am the only one um american champion i'm georgian but you just got your citizenship too right i got my citizenship so i mean oh so you're the only american citizen champ right now yes And then I did say this one in interview, some others, I give some... You got to keep saying that everywhere, so they put you on. Yeah, and I said, I mentioned this.

I'm the only one American citizen around the champion in men's division. And I said, I'm not American, but I have a citizen, but somebody comment, but you are American citizen. That's it, you're American. And I'm like, yeah, I'm American. Who do you think ends up on that card if you had to guess? Because I think this is the first time that Connor McGregor is, how many years has been talk of him actually fighting, right? This is the first time he's actually, he's back in the testing pool for the first time.

I agree. I think he's big for Connor. Yes, it's big, and I think he's really motivated. Do you see him sparring recently? When he was training Italy? I think it was like, yeah, a few days ago. He was like sparring some kid. Yeah, yeah.

Actually, when I was China, I met his friends, and we phased Amiercona McGregor. time and he asked me to weekend training and i said let's go corner weekend training i would like to train it with you and then uh like i said uh now i have a fight of course i'm not going to go nowhere uh i can be vegas and after the my fight i won a fight again this year and after i can go visit him you know i'm going to message him you know we both follow each other in instagram and um yeah sometimes we that would be sick yeah we went to Ireland to do a video with him well nice and we went to his bar he's he's a he's a good guy he's fun but a lot of energy bro oh a lot a lot of energy yeah I know he's just always like

he was we were with him and he wore like three different outfits throughout the night like I saw him in one outfit and then like I looked again and he was wearing a different outfit and then I saw him change and like and they're all like silk outfits like button ups I don't know how he did it but but a video of you guys like training together that would be yeah as a fan that'd be cool to see yeah yeah so probably hopefully we can do it here and yeah so i'm excited for him and that would be uh white house that would be good for him and then i would like to see him in white house fight fight you know and uh john jones i would like to see him there but dana's saying no john jones he's mad i think you know because i think he's just

saying jones it's not reliable yeah but no john because like a white house card if you're in dana the shoes he can't have someone back out of the card so okay this is my idea let's have a in the white house kind of mcgregor versus my mike chandler you think chandler and nate ds there's some talk in a ds okay either either i rather see nate ds okay i mean yeah i don't mind you know whatever i will say uh chandler was you know calling him and out i think that's okay i don't know that's my opinion okay okay Okay, yeah. Let's have a kind of more reggae at the White House. John Jones versus somebody else. Doesn't matter who, but John Jones, he decided.

Yeah. Listen, John Jones, he's the gold. It doesn't matter what. Some people say he prayed. He's the gold. The man deserved his respect, man. He was champion a long time. Nobody ever done like this, like, highest level. There's so many eras. Yeah, he don't have nothing to prove. And like, now, yeah, Tom Aspinel came up. of course he's a great champion but like everybody talking shit about john jones it's i agree with that yeah it's crazy how people disrespect yeah it's no he don't deserve that he should fight whoever he wants whenever he wants and just you know just you know because if he wants he can

fight if he has some other primary problems you know let him deal with i told him this when we i because we had jones on the pod and like as a fan like you got to kind of do what kabib did too like you got You got to let everyone know, like, I'm done, which he did recently. But I think if you don't announce your retirement, fans are always going to think, like, yo, is he fighting? Is he fighting? Like, Khabib said, I'm done, and he was done. Yeah, but Khabib case was different, bro.

Kabib has some family deal. Like, his mother told him to, after his father died, mother tell him to no more fight. and i think kabib asked him ask her one permission to fight one more time and he said i will done and he he just he was man of his word with his mom and uh that was his decision in that was his belief and he did he did that but uh me or any other fighters i'm sure kabbib missed fighting too but to be fighter and to retire it's very hard we saw many fighters retired but they still coming back even even like my friend Chris Wademan he retired but now he's looking for some like a grappling you know he you always

will be you miss it right yeah you want to because you need some drive like to like a something to drive you to wake up training you need some opponent because when you used to like always competition competition you know and then one day nobody want to fight with you or nobody you know you know so but you don't have like challenge in your life you know so it's gonna be you always will be fighter you know even 56 years old mike thysson fought right he's 56 yeah yeah is yeah yeah he's yeah imagine like you know fighter it's it's hard to retire you know saying so and then but there is but so much things go i can only imagine how much going on with johns you know because even who i am

I just came champion, but it's a lot of, a lot of things, a lot of challenges, a lot of opportunities and outside of training, you know, comes up. It's hard to balance everything. What do you want your reign to look like over the next few years? And how long do you want to be fighting? Do you think about that, or is that not something you think about? So my goal is to just do my best, you know? I don't overlook or overthink with that.

and I don't want to like but I want to just do my best fight fight much as I can and read much as I much as I can I want more wins and more fight and my goal is to fight

until 50 years old in the UFC? Yeah, to you know 50? So you want to be the oldest champ of all time? I hope I can be champ at the time but no I'm sure like listen man that is

it's impossible to me stay champion I'm 34 now and then 16 more years stay champion it's impossible it's no impossible you know I

like you think like 90% of fans things that I can beat Corey Sanger but I'm like 50-50 I don't know right yeah if I know I will tell my friend Pumi Nikuta now

hey Pumi I'm gonna sell my house or use all my money and I can't bet by you bet you bet I'm gonna win or I'm gonna lose but I don't know you know say if I know I don't like betting but I'm not stupid you know if I know what I'm gonna do I you know I tell my friends or not maybe my money but I will tell you sell your car bro because I'm gonna win and then I have a double money yeah like stuff like this but we don't know but every fight you're going into and you don't you really don't know exactly exactly yes like if I knew I was gonna win last 13 fights bro

like I will tell all my Georgian people sell everything better me I'm winning or losing you know and that way I will make my country people rich you know but I don't know this if you beat Sanhagen you've cleared out the whole division right you've already beat yon you beat Omar you beat sugar twice yeah let's say I know you don't don't want this to happen but let's say Aljo does not become the champion would you ever move up if you cleared out like if you keep winning I'm down I'm down to, yeah. Because I've never heard you talk about that. Yeah, yeah. So I just love Alexander Wakanoski, you know, and he's a great fighter. He's a great guy. Yeah, he's a great fighter, but even better person. He's a great, yeah.

Yeah, very good. And I love, you know, like the people like this have a beautiful family. Yeah, he's a good dude. So it's not someone that you'd want to fight? Listen, I don't want to fight, but it's, I mean, if I have to fight, we will fight. And if he wins, the God for him, good for him, and God bless him. And if I wins a sport, you know, it's nothing. That would be, like, more just pure competition, that fight.

Yes. But for now, I'm not thinking like this, but I'm not saying no to future, you know. If it's, if it's really comes, like, now I have a Cori Sagan. And after, like I said, I want a quick turnaround against Piterion. And whoever will be next contender, if not, then maybe think about it. Some people have that double champ aspirations, right? Like, some people, it's like, they're like, I, want two belts yeah i've never heard you talk about that though so that's not really a goal of

yours yeah listen man i i'm comfortable to be champion of my way class and uh i'm not chasing too many like you know i'm not like you know so i mean yeah everybody is different you know so yeah eventually i will try to move up or i would like to some super fights also like uh different weight class and i also have in my mind i make one 35 my own you know my own diet my own weight cut and my i can be myself i don't need nobody's help i make it it's always sucks always hard i do it but maybe if i hire nutritional special diet people and um 1205 maybe it's possible you know eventually you know then maybe i go down but like right now i'm good here like i tell i i tell you man i'm i'm living in my life i don't change nothing i just need to trick only last last six

days and i'm making weight i saw what who's homzat said he wanted to be triple champ right yeah it's good for him if you once man what did you think of his last fight very smart performance and i was I were impressed how he fight smart, you know, a little bit striking exchanges against 2 plus C and a straight take down and stay on top. He wasn't hitting too hard and he was just holding position, dominate positions, and he was controlling very good on top. He was not wasting too much energy and then he was so, so smart. he was impressive win but I was surprised

I was surprised about 2 plus C because he don't have enough jiu-jitsu to escape the position to get up you know the crucifix? Yeah like no crucipes it's hard and maybe you don't want to risk too much and it was hard

crucible escape it's it's hard I understand a little bit but but like second round third round like how he was not moving his feet, he was just walking to Hamza to shoot him

and then after that he got takedown he was like not trying to like an elbow escape or like a bottom leg out or stuff like this you know he was I don't know like I guess he's good with crazy fights

take people down like he being bullied like to other fighters but when he got bullied he was down then he don't do much. That's another guy that you look at and it's like who the hell is going to beat that guy? He looked very good but listen, it's MMA

and Hamzad is a great guy, great champion and very strong but it's always can be somebody like some positions like the guys maybe they can escape like there is actually some good like a jiu-jitsu guys in this division

like a dialogue borrallio and even the plappy what is Hernandez there is also I believe even Shriklan can

escape and get up you know Strickland you think no just escape you know he knows how to defense the takedown to get up you know

the style makes fight you know so there is also some I'm not saying they can beat him but they give him like much problems you know like I mean we see the two plus you can't get up

he don't have not enough jujitsu you know to get up but I mean I'm sure that if comes that we will fight other guys he will have a little bit hard time you know because we see the Gilbert Berz has a good jujitsu he was able to escape get up and and then Hamza has to strike with him that's why we see that like only fight that they go distance like this you know i saw hamzat said the easiest way to pound for pound number one is to fight islam how do you think that fight would play up well like but hamzad is in middleweight and islam is he well i think Islam said before that he wants to go to middleweight too oh i don't think this is possible you know because um you see like think about from ufc perspective

you know let's say let's say like yeah they don't want to put two superstars against each other unless it absolutely has to happen. Like Islam Volk. That was like undeniable where they both or Volt cleaned out his entire division like twice. Yeah.

Like for example, I'm not saying like I say me if I moved up now let's say I fight I fight Corey Sanger and then five, six months later if I fight for the 145 belt.

Let's say if I win this belt and then I need another five, six months to defend my belt. So this is one year later in my vehicle as defending my belt. And I need another five, six months to defend another belt, you know? And then this is, I'm holding

divisions, you know, that's why I don't think UFC would like to have this. Or if I lost, then UFC lose one big names and stuff like this, you know? I don't think it's best for UFC. Yeah, no, I know what you mean.

Do fans ever still try to test you ever? I've seen that old video of when you ran into the crowd. Do you think after that video, did people kind of get the message? Like, don't test me up? Everybody very respectful and everybody, like, so cool. It was only one stupid guy. So what did he say at the time? Bro, okay, what happened was I was in CGI or a jujitsu tournament, whatever.

And everybody's so nice, respectful. You know, at that time I wasn't champion, but, and you know everybody knows me i'm a uc fighter and tough uh contender and uh people coming taking pictures everybody shaking my hand taking pictures whatever and uh and now i'm watching much and i'm sitting front row and i'm with some friends and then from the crowd i hear my rap sugar is your daddy like damn you know thousands of people here look I'm like, shut up, bitch. And then, like, what are you going to do?

He's all over the up, you know? And then ha, ha, ha, he's, like, laughing. And he said, sugar is your daddy. I'm like, shut up. Like, come here, say my face, you know? He said, yeah, yeah, sugar is your daddy. But I'm like, come here, come here. You know, he's like, he's laughing, joking me.

And then, like, he's just, now everybody, like, pay attention because it's just me, him, like, talking loud you know you had to stay on business at that like like now don't like my head like I'm now he's not coming and he keeps talking nice is disrespect me and the people like and and I go I just go and then what did you slap him walk to him and he showed me hands like he's like this in a chair like no no no like bro now no now no it's too late you know you you already fuck up like he should not mess up the fight they just you know I don't did anything bad for your disrespect or whatever you know why you

disrespect me from other people or whatever you know and then and when I go and he he don't even get up he's a fucking pussy and then like and then I'm like they're standing to ready for what you know say now my face or I'm gonna fucking push you or slap you or you know I was really thinking to maybe slap yeah I will never punch somebody or hurt somebody But if they A slap is more degrading anyway Yeah Well yeah

Because if you slap them It's like Yeah exactly It's like you're a bitch right Yeah I agree with this Because I'm I mean my English is second language And yeah okay now

You know what I mean Yeah exactly Same same same mentality Exactly Because you slap him He's not gonna do shit back It's like I just slapped you It's like a bitch

Yeah Yeah And I was gonna But I'm talking about Even even street If somebody like I don't

I had some little bit little accidents you know i don't want to talk about but i never like punch somebody to take down or knee or like you know saying like i don't want to really help somebody in the street or i don't you know i i i i control you know maxill maybe take down or talk shit and have you ever been in like a street fight yeah i've been you know like back in the day or uh i mean it's the story and i can talk about this street fight still if you want so anyway when i walked to him and he was like hands up and he's like he he's staying his chair and he's the you don't want to get up and I'm like looking like you fucking bitch and pussy and like I'm gonna fucking fuck you up if I want

now you know bully him and then and I just grab his hair and just like this just leave him you know that was it but yeah street fighting man I grew up in Georgia and I got in lots of street fights you know I used to don't like bully people or like something disrespect or like just people take vantage of you or something and I used to punch in the

face people you know like when I was a little kid and I used to get in a lot of fights and then also we are from Georgia and then like some my friend got in the fights we have to fight like a town and town and school and school and this

like your your when you are a class your class and class and then like friends to other friends group and like so many so many fights and then even my village also I used to fight like I remember one time I had fights with three guys they was fighting but I you know I was able to handle all three and then I got you know a lot of fights and then when I was nine I moved to the from village to capital city and you know when you come from village in capital city you know it got a lot of fights

because either you are like just regular guy or if you want to be top guy you have to fight you know some because if you want to be part of the you know like them group and then friendship you have to fight and then after they give you respect and then yeah even in in the town you know just you have to prove you know just you know they may be bully for you whatever and then to fight but let me tell you one thing but i start serious training when i was 13 i start a couple months i started wrestling in uh greco roma wrestling and then a couple months later i switched to judo but i was like locked in and since that i was not getting street fights after that i fought only three times in street

one time in Georgia like when you have to fight and then I think two times in America oh two times since you moved here yeah only two times I fought in the shit who's dumb enough to like try you do they not know you're a fighter or they just like yeah I think they don't know

like one time I fought damn that's bad was that like a bar or something or like no one time was in New York City like New York City like new year like two drunk guys they said something disrespectful to me I was out of nowhere

no what happened was I was with a girl in New York City you're on a date yeah date and what would you take her so it was actually it's funny that because you're a low-key

like you're a low-key sniper I feel you're good with the ladies loki we should not talk about ladies but so okay I was on date but and then she was watching actually fights too you know she was a little bit toxic girl why well how so you know she was

really jealous you know okay but i understand because um you know sometimes i open my instagram or facebook or text message front of her and then i just look and you got caught on the explore page yeah because you know i've been i've been there yeah people and i'm from georgian and like Georgian people girls or guys they allow me and they send me a lot of hearts and I said them loud back you know what I'm saying

and then so she was she was jealous you know toxic How'd she see your Instagram Did she like look over? You said I open front of her like text message and whatever Because I know

Girls be doing that now Like they'd be like Yeah Their necks like Yeah they're looking I don't know how they do it Like stretches They saw they feel it

You smile Or you got text And if they feel you got to really like go like this just don't open if you date don't open

yeah don't open your phone okay so you're on the date and then actually it was new year it was the pfl fights uh in new york that was 2018 i believe you know

i believe or a thousand maximum 2019 and and then so anyway so she got after we left the fight it was in the street and a lot of drunk people

and they need new year's eve you know oh new year's eve new york city yeah it's crazy and it's a raining day and uh so she got jealous and she just go back to hotel and i'm like i don't want to go back to hotel you know i'm like i'm a little bit disappointed new year's eve too yeah i know she ruined new year's deal over the

i g yes and i'm like by myself in the street and i'm on there like something like balcony to like not not get wet you know just a little bit rain you know and it's um 31 December and maybe I'm sure it's like midnight something and and the two dudes coming and they had one guy have a bag he said and he asked me something like about like how I get there or how like it is right and they was arguing something and they asked me question and I was like six years ago and at that time my English wasn't good and also I New York City, I mean, of course, I don't want to give them wrong directions or something.

And when they asked me a question, I said, I have no idea, brother. I was very respectful, you know, like almost like a geek, you know, like a very nice guy. I was like very respectful. And then when I tell him to, I have no idea, brother, you know. And he's like, shut up, bitch. And I'm like, bro, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, already piece of my girl. me here in New Year's Eve in the middle of the street New York raining and now this guy telling me shut up bitch and I'm like I'm telling him just go I said

just go leave me long and so what are you gonna do about it I'm like just go I'm like just go and then oh why you gonna do something and then and I said just go and what I said just go and what I'll argue with him and then he throw back on me like just beg and then I don't remember he landed on me or no

but then when I go and then he just come and just like grab my face with his like fingers and then actually he's one finger yeah like got my eye

and I just when I grab him and then just wrestling with his arm and then now he filled the of course power and everything but now he wants to run

from me somehow he ran and then no he ran from like i can't grab anymore but now i want to fight that's it's a fight happening it's going and then but now he turned around and he's running but now it's like now i'm crazy now it's and then i catch him and then make him like turn around and punching i'm punching his face and then i blend him couple punch and i said i'm like it's enough it's enough you know now i

turn around and now I'm like I gotta go I gotta run from here because the New York City comment is everywhere police patrols I don't want to get in trouble with stupid people and now I'm running now I turn around and I'm like going fast I'm not running like crazy but I'm going fast fast I'm taking fast steps you know just going other direction yeah I'm just I get out of here and now a second guy his friend chased me and like what do to my friend like you top guy oh la la like i said leave me long i'm gonna fuck you up like give me long you know he's just you just grabbing me and he wants to fight and i have to fight him you know like it's you know i have to beat his ass too and then you know a couple points like it's just like

i think yo the first guy i dropped him so and then and and then now i i did like a little sweep between him you know make him drop and then now i i really run but now this the first guy coming back and I'm like get out of here I'm gonna fuck you up like leave me long and they said no no no no sorry you drop your your your cap your head and then sorry take it okay okay sorry I'm like fuck you just I don't need it like just one 80 and then he ran away yeah no I run I don't care them you know I run like really run from them and because like no they they they was okay they was they take a nap and they don't want nothing with me.

Once they realized, you know, I was a real deal. But, and then, yeah, so I, and then I run some other, and then I go back to see with a hotel in Italian. That's hilarious. Yeah, yeah, so stupid fight. It's not like. All because of the girl, too. That's kind of what triggered you. Yeah, actually, other time, I was in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn.

I used to go there every weekend because I used to live Long Island, New York, and Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. That's where all the Georgian people is. It's a nice beach there. And then Sunday night. it's a parking spa Sunday they you know Sunday Sunday they have a parking and parking spa and it's public whatever it's free whatever and but you have to wait if somebody pull up and then you can parking which is otherwise you cannot find the parking you know so I'm like patient waiting like windows down listening my music and I'm there to go to the beach my friends are there

to somebody pull up and I parking there and then some lady come up and then tell his husband we were supposed to park there and that this girl make pretty much his husband mad you know uh um like the and then and i'm sitting in my car parking whatever and then oh no this lady come like talking shit i said i don't care like i ignore her you know i don't whatever there was so then this girl go to talk his husband like uh i don't know what she tell but she made crazy his husband man and then some strong guy came black dude like even very muscular like you know like and he wants to fight me and he started talking shit my windows down and I'm like oh I hope he's not

gonna punch me when I'm sitting you know because I'm sitting in my car and he's talking shit about me in the window and when I'm sitting of course he can punch me yeah now I'm trying talking slowly and I go get up and then now I'm trying to fix like I don't want to fight you know I don't want to fight this strong dude you know and street and nothing I'm you know I'm a fucking proportional fighter I don't want to yeah to do this but he also started fight with me pushing me and like you know I I have my rule is this so first I try avoid fight you know a professional fight I don't want to fight use your words first yeah no second I use my words you know if I have to fight I have to bullying them damn or

take them down or just like you know I have to fight you know that's so and then I had to fight back and and then when I start Punching him. He was actually strong. I cannot drive him. Because he was strong. I was really punching hard. And then, but now this girl gave me, this wife. And then now he was, hey, stop and stop. Now you want to stop it. Now it's already late. You make him crazy. And I do whatever. So that was my two fight in US. I hope it's never happened again.

And so the stupid fights. Yeah. All because of chicks, too, both of them. Yeah, yeah. You're right. That's all. Aljo said he's getting married the day after your fight. Yes. so that you could go from that to yeah are you a part of the like grooms party or yeah yeah he of course i mean he invite me and everything where's the wedding here in Vegas yeah oh wow yeah aljo imagine the thing about this he's gonna corner me and then he has a wedding next day and uh yeah so now

it's it's it's all good you know it's gonna be good one you know it's gonna be good you think you'll ever married of course uh if i find the wiping material girl i will it's hard right it's very hard especially are you single right now are you seeing someone no i'm single single i'm single i'm single yeah good it's good but yeah i'm really now i start paying attention to find a good wiping material girl who i will have a family with and i will have a kids with because i want to have a kids and uh yeah i don't want to have a kids with um yeah i don't want to have a kids with um somebody some woman you know I want to have a kids with a very respectful woman because I will have a connection with her all my life you know because we will

have a kids together and I want to and the kids needs both you know kids needs father and mother you know do I grow up like this my even my parents was fighting each other for a stupid reason for like they don't I you know they don't understand sometimes each other but a stupid argue but You know, when you have a father and you have a mother, this is the best for kids. And I think this is like, you know, but I started looking now. And if I find it, yeah, that would be gold. It's going to be so hard to settle down, but that's the goal to just have a deal.

Do you think you can find Wafi in Vegas? I don't think so in Vegas. No? No. That's what I was trying to think of, yeah. No, Vegas is impossible. I find all the pretty girls here, they're bottle girls. Yeah, I mean.

You notice that? all the good looking girls in Vegas they're from out of town yes or they're all bottle girls i mean i just met some uh young girl she she actually asked me like whatever so but you know she no ask me what you know i you know it was crazy i i have some meeting grids like commercial center and then she take a picture with me she pulled up to the meeting greet yeah and then she take a picture with me and then she said marab you should get know me i'm a good wife material girl. I'm like I never never heard like this

you know she said I'm a good girl and then and then the security make her rush okay you gotta go you gotta go because next next person has to come and she said she's my mom take a picture with my mom oh then I asked mom give me her phone number I call her

contact her whatever but so anyway so I want to get no her that was very strange right and then so she was traditional girl she said I'm religion like virgin and I want to just only get married trait. And so I guess it's possible, you know, there is, you know, every 21 century by every type of girl. But, you know, but it's also hard.

Yes, she may be virgin. She may be traditional, but you have to understand her. You have to love her. You have to be bold, same page, you know. That's very hard to. Timings everything too, right? Yeah, exactly. Like now also my lifestyle is crazy, you know, but.

How old are you now? 34 I'm 31 yeah I mean we have time we have time but we should look to like serious girls because we got to start looking yeah we got to start looking because or at least we got to start thinking about looking I agree well because because time goes fast and the family is the best you know and then so like 20 years later we will have a 20 year old kids you know and then when you look bad that that would be most most most accomplished you know you and you raise you know like next generation and Maybe we could go on, like, a double date after you win your next fight.

But double dates never works for me, but actually... Nah, trust. But double date, but I was always trying to hook up, like, double date, you know what I'm saying? But if we go, like, if really be looking for, like, serious relationship, double date, maybe works. I'll tee us up with a nice double date. Yeah, okay, but I need a, like, very respectful, traditional, like, something, girl, you know? Because I like, don't get me wrong, I like the, I love all the women's, I have, you know, whatever.

But I love all the women, I respect all. Just so I know then, what's your biggest red flag in a girl? For me, it's a couple, you know, even pass is important for me. In what sense? I mean, if she already have a couple relationships before, like, it's, I mean, depends the girl, of course, but, like, you know, that depends on her past, you know. I mean it's when you guys different you know but girl for girl girl girl must respect herself you know that she should not change many boyfriend or something like this

and also of course like loyal you know she has to be like loyal and then and it's supportive like why a wiping material girl you know she has to be supportive you know because yeah I will of course support my family and I will die for my family but yeah you know she has to be like wiping material because today i understand too you know we all chasing career and then everybody has a career and then today that's what we see everybody want to be influencer or want to be like uh just maybe doctor you know she has to sacrifice for family too and take time and you know saying like stuff like this you know so i i don't think it's going to be good for me and we be free ball chasing career especially now you know what i'm saying yeah uh because

Because if it's 10, 15 years later, maybe it's different story. But now. For timing. Yeah. That's like for me right now, too. I'm so busy. I'm traveling. Yeah.

She has to understand. She has to travel. A relationship is such a big commitment, right? Yeah. She has to work for your schedule, right? I'm saying because if she's there, you dare, it's not going to work in a distant relationship. But I don't think it's good. Mm-hmm.

I think I talk too much, but. No, I like it. I think this was great. Yeah. I appreciate it, bro. I think we're going to head to the contender series now, right? Or no. Do we still have time?

Yeah, let's look for some wipes. If you can find a wife with the Contender Series, I don't think that's ever happened in history, right? Maybe, you never know. All right, well, shout out to Marab. We'll shoot the best of luck in the fight. Thank you, brother. Thank you, bro.

Appreciate you. Thank you.