Merab Dvalishvili received some good news after suffering an injury to start 2022.
The surging UFC bantamweight revealed Saturday that he “badly injured” his clavicle bone, but will not require surgery. MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin confirmed the news with Dvalishvili’s management, who added that there is no timetable yet for the fighter’s recovery.
“Badly injured my clavicle bone,” Dvalishvili wrote on Instagram. “Fortunately no surgery is necessary. Lots of physical therapy and time to heal! I will be back stronger than before.”
Dvalishvili also posted an X-ray of his shoulder injury along with a video message in Georgian. He did reveal how he suffered the injury.
The No. 7 bantamweight in MMA Fighting’s Global Rankings, Dvalishvili has won seven straight fights, the longest active win streak in the UFC’s 135-pound division. Dvalishvili scored the biggest win of his career in his most recent outing at UFC 266 in September, defeating one-time UFC title challenger and former World Series of Fighting champion Marlon Moraes by second-round TKO.
Dvalishvili, a close friend and teammate of current UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, does not currently have a fight booked.