Merab Dvalishvili Draws the Line With Mikey Musumeci Despite Sharing a Gym

The Georgian phenom has built a notorious reputation in the UFC for his bruising wrestling. However, there's one aspect of his grappling that still remains untapped: jiu-jitsu. While BJJ maestro Mikey Musumeci shares his gym, Merab Dvalishvili isn't quite intent on bridging that gap any time soon.

Merab Dvalishvili Doesn't See The Point In Rolling With Musumeci

Merab Dvalishvili and Mikey Musumeci both train at Syndicate MMA under coach John Wood. However, both have taken very different routes when it comes to combat sports. With both MMA and BJJ having their own unique demands, 'The Machine' simply doesn't think rolling with the UFC BJJ bantamweight champion will translate all too well to his own training.

In a recent interview with the Mighty Cast, Dvalishvili recalled 'Darth Rigatoni' submitting former UFC champions Aljamain Sterling and Demetrious Johnson. That was enough reason for the bantamweight to decline Musumeci's invitation.

“There is no point. He’s going to butt scoot and then break my leg and like nobody’s going to do this to me in MMA," Dvalishvili told DJ. "I’m not going to training with him because doesn’t make sense."

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While there's no denying Musumeci's dangerous leg lock game, that's not exactly the threat Dvalishvili needs to prepare for in MMA. Punches and elbows can completely change the grappling equation, forcing submission hunters to be defensively aware too. That can shut down much of the leg entanglement game.

This difference in their training approaches becomes particularly relevant given Mikey Musumeci's plan to transition to MMA.

Mikey Musumeci Eyes MMA Debut As He Tweaks Training

Mikey Musumeci remains one of the most elite grapplers of today, with a stacked resume holding multiple IBJJF titles, a ONE Championship belt, and most recently, UFC BJJ's bantamweight title. Having conquered the highest ranks in jiu-jitsu, the submission specialist is ready to set foot in the cage now.

Darth Rigatoni has always shown his interest in putting on the gloves, although he put a date to the dream after defeating UFC star Bryce Mitchell in an exciting featherweight grappling contest. 

Musumeci is aiming for the UFC's flyweight division, packed with threats like Joshua Van, Alexandre Pantoja, and Manel Kape. And while no fight has been confirmed yet, the BJJ phenom is looking to make that leap as soon as November or December this year. 

He has already started taking strides towards that goal, getting in his wrestling and MMA drills. Moreover, Musumeci has also recognized the primary way in which MMA differs from his game: his inability to pull guard. From what it looks like, however, that handicap no longer bothers Musumeci, especially after his fight with Mitchell.

Even as Mikey Musumeci adapts to the world of MMA, Merab Dvalishvili's training philosophy remains worlds apart, with the fighters sharing nothing more than the gym.