Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling | Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Merab Dvalishili had a lot to learn the first time he rolled with Aljamain Sterling.

The reigning UFC bantamweight champion has always held Sterling – his longtime friend and teammate – in high regard. In a recent interview with coach Matt Serra, Dvalishvili recalled how “Funk Master” humbled him when they met in the gym over a decade ago.

“We had sparring rounds at [Ray Longo’s gym],” Dvalishvili said on the Geeking Out with Matt Serra podcast. “Aljo, I think he went either [first or second round against me] and then me, of course, I was wild at the time, I shoot double leg, and before I take him down, I’m already in the triangle. I’m like, ‘How did I get here?’ Then he made me tap from the triangle.

“Again, I go, ‘Now I’ve got to go hard’ and then I don’t remember, the second [time] he either choked me or armbarred me and I’m like, ‘This is a different level.’”

It was the start of a fortuitous friendship for Dvalishvili and Sterling, both of whom went on to hold UFC titles. It was Sterling who made it to the top first, winning his championship via disqualification after taking an illegal knee from Petr Yan at UFC 259 (and then winning a narrow decision over Yan in their rematch at UFC 273). When Sterling later dropped the title to Sean O’Malley, Dvalishvili was right there to pick it up, bringing the belt back to their gym with a decision win over O’Malley at UFC 306 this past September.

When the two first met, Sterling was already hunting for gold on the New Jersey Regional Scene, having won the Ring of Combat bantamweight title (a title also later won by Dvalishvili) in his third pro bout and he was chasing another title with Cage Fury Fighting Championship when he forged his partnership with Dvalishvili.

“Aljo was already a professional fighter and I think he was about to fight for the CFFC belt and shortly after he goes to the UFC,” Dvalishvili said. “Aljo is always willing to help other training partners and also I was training with him and I was getting better and better every time and I learned even the time there was a big difference. He’s still better than me, but at the time he was way better than me.

“I always respect him, I look up to him, he was a professional fighter and I followed him. We became friends, training partners, sparring partners, and then teammates, and also it became a good problem because he was champion and then I kept winning. People kept mentioning [us fighting] and I never paid attention.”

These days, Sterling is competing at featherweight while Dvalishvili is coming off a second win over O’Malley, a result that extended Dvalishvili’s current win streak to 13 and has him in the thick of the conversation for the greatest bantamweight of all time.

As much as he’s achieved in the octagon, Dvalisvhili still fondly remembers when he finally got the better of Sterling on the mats.

“Actually, to be honest, I was shocked,” Dvalishvili told Serra. “You witness our sparring and you were always watching our sparring and Aljo was better than me in sparring. His grappling and jiu-jitsu, he gets on top of me and I can’t move, we were always pushing each other but he was better than me. That day, Aljo was traveling and after a little bit of travel he had a fight booked and we were sparring and this time I was taking him down and I was on top.

“He was hardly getting up, he’s getting tired, and I’m doing better and I’m like, ‘What’s wrong with me?’ I thought I was getting so much better. I tell Aljo, ‘Bro, you always better than me, you always beat me, but today it was my day.’ And then I remind him, ‘Remember the day?’ and he remembers that day, for sure.”

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Mailbag. MMA Fighting’s Jed Meshew looks back at Dustin Poirier’s career and looks ahead for Max Holloway.

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VIDEO STEW

Between the Links.

Catch up on MMA Fighting interviews with Petr Yan, Reinier de Ridder, and Cody Garbrandt.

Submission Radio brings in José Youngs to react to all the big fight announcements.

Tim Sylvia chats with Rampage and the boys.

Rashad Evans on the Pound 4 Pound podcast.

SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE

Legitimate questions.

It’s always your “friends.”

Stay in school!

Come back, little Ilia!

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Tatiana Suarez (10-1) vs. Amanda Lemos (15-4); Noche UFC 3, Sept. 13

Aleksandar Rakic (14-5) vs. Azamat Murzakanov (15-0); UFC 321, Oct. 25

Azat Maksum (15-2) vs. Mitch Raposo (9-3); UFC 321, Oct. 25

Ikram Aliskerov (16-2) vs. Jun Yong Park (19-6); UFC 321, Oct. 25

Hamdy Abdelwahab (6-1, 1 NC) vs. Chris Barnett (23-9); UFC 321, Oct. 25

FINAL THOUGHTS

After all these years, the Merab-Aljo friendship still gets me. Hope y’all have someone you know who can triangle choke you to sleep and then take you out for a drink later.

The Morning Report will be back Tuesday.

EXIT POLL

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