I respect Merab. (You should too)

[big franklin]

This goblin ain't half bad.

I admit it... I didn't used to be a fan of Merab. I thought his takedowns were sloppy, he had a very lan 'n' pray fighting style and his skits were lame. But after his performance against Cejudo, I'm changing my mind. Here's why.

Cejudo is 37. But make no mistake, beating Cejudo is no easy feat. Merab's wrestling was just so much better. His pace was relentless. One of the best cardio machines in the UFC for sure.

Yes... the goblin does lack finishing power but fights can still be entertaining without them, especially if the fighter is dominant.

I would like to see Merab vs. O'Malley. I have zero interest in the Cheeto fight. I think Merab loses that fight, however.

Personally, I think Umar is better everywhere, and way more exciting. I just wish the guy fought more.

Umar vs Merab is an exciting matchup too.

 

[Blanqa Blanqua]

Merab has great skills, an amusing guy without a schtick and he has stuck to his principles even when taking fire from Dana.

Much to like and respek

 

[AmonTobin]

I respect any man half my height who can run 2 days longer than I can and can headbutt 6 inch thick ice and laugh it off. It’s not my most favourite style of fighting to watch but I do enjoy seeing him drag men out into the deepest of waters and break them by sheer exhaustion!

 

[modulus]

Dude is serious and comes across as legit nice guy with a sense of humor -
what a welcomed breath of fresh air in this age of the big mouth jerk-off ass hats.

Merab FTW

 

[Lights Out 101]

Only Prime drinking troglodytes do not respect Merab at this point. Man's a goblin, but he's our goblin.

 

[Kryptt]

#Merabinator

 

[Buff]

Possibly the most boring fighter on the roster.

I don't care too much for personality contests... If he wasnt "funny" nobody would care.

Personally I wouldn't mind if he retired tomorrow.

 

[The Siege]

Merab's style is the opposite of Lay n Pray. It's constant in your face, relentless, suffocating grappling pressure. It's a whole new style of fighting, we can name it something like the Tug n Hug.

He's always looking to grab you and stick to you, and if you try to shed him off, he grabs you even harder next time.

Joking aside, one of the most impressive displays of grappling endurance I've ever seen.

 

[Dorkman]

Had to respect the guy after some of the shots he refused to stay down on vs Moraes. Got tee'd off on and just would not quit. And his pressure must just feel terrifying to anyones whos gas tank is prone to failure.

 

[mjfan23]

you may not like his personality but gotta respect his skills and fighting

 

[Blanqa Blanqua]

Merab's style is the opposite of Lay n Pray. It's constant in your face, relentless, suffocating grappling pressure. It's a whole new style of fighting, we can name it something like the Tug n Hug.

He's always looking to grab you and stick to you, and if you try to shed him off, he grabs you even harder next time.

Joking aside, one of the most impressive displays of grappling endurance I've ever seen.

 

[blewgums]

No I don’t want to.

He looks like the sort of fellow that would drive a ‘78 Ford Fairmont with curb feelers.

 

[KarateYeah]

I only respect JRR Tolkien, his creator...

 

[TempleoftheDog]

It’s a shame he had to play second fiddle to Aljo. There’s nobody Aljo beat that Merab couldn’t beat, too. He could possibly have run up a really good number of defences. But if he stays at BW. He most likely will take over for most defences in the UFC BW division. I think the guy could defend 4 times per year, if he wanted to.

It’ll be interesting to see what he’s accomplished before he retires.

 

[Spacebadger]

Merab vs Ilia. Who wins?

 

[Fergelmince]

He's great, but he's going to get bunched in with the Leon Edwards, Belal Muhammads and Mogammed Ankalaevs of the world. Great talent, boring AF, Can't sell PPVs, etc. So when the UFC finally gives him a title shot, and he probably wins the belt, the UFC won't promote him and won't be enthusiastic to headline his fights on PPVs.

 

[xn7]

TS late the the party bro.

 

[gonads20]

He'd be a lot cooler if he could get a finish.

 

[Question]

It’s a shame he had to play second fiddle to Aljo. There’s nobody Aljo beat that Merab couldn’t beat, too. He could possibly have run up a really good number of defences. But if he stays at BW. He most likely will take over for most defences in the UFC BW division. I think the guy could defend 4 times per year, if he wanted to.

It’ll be interesting to see what he’s accomplished before he retires.

It's weird cuz I get it and it's very admirable what he did for Aljo, but(and I'm not exaggerating when I say this) it took a few years off his prime. I mean he could've been fighting for the title by now and had to wait around for fights since there wasn't many options available after he basically became the number one contender after beating Aldo.

The part that really puzzled me was him still waiting because Aljo was aiming for an immediate rematch, they should've known that was never gonna happen and now he shot himself in the foot because that just gave the UFC an excuse to got with Chito instead.

Edit: With all that being said, I still want Merab to get his shot next. The guy did more then enough and his last two bouts have been super impressive and fun to watch IMO.

 

[omawho402]

He's boring and can't finish for shit. I'll be happier when he's gone.