UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili recently shared details about the manual labor jobs he took on after moving to the United States to pursue his MMA career. Speaking on Jake Shields’ podcast, the Georgian star revealed he initially worked in demolition before transitioning to carpentry to support himself.
“When I first came to the US, I was doing demolition work,” Dvalishvili explained. “Then I became a handyman and eventually moved into carpentry. I was basically doing everything – framing, windows, doors, roofing, flooring, concrete. Whatever was needed, except for electrical and plumbing.”
The grueling physical labor took its toll, especially as Dvalishvili tried to balance it with his training. “I was working full-time and could only train at night,” he recalled. “It was exhausting, but I had no choice. I needed to make money.”
Despite signing with the UFC in 2017, Dvalishvili continued working construction jobs until 2020. “Even after my first UFC fight, the pay wasn’t enough. I’d spend all my fight money and have to go back to work,” he said.
Dvalishvili’s persistence paid off, as he’s now ranked #3 in the bantamweight division. He credits those tough early years for building his work ethic and appreciation for his current success.
“It was a struggle, but it made me who I am,” Dvalishvili reflected. “Now I’m grateful I can focus solely on fighting and chasing my dreams in the UFC.”
Dvalishvili is far from the only MMA star that had to resort to doing odd jobs to support themselves.
Keep reading on the next slide
