UFC 306, which celebrates Mexican independence, will not feature a Mexican or Mexican-descended fighter in the main event. It could, however, feature an adopted Mexican, depending on who you ask.

Georgian Merab Dvalishvili, now based in the US, will challenge UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley in the main event of UFC 306, also known as Noche UFC, at the Sphere in Las Vegas. With no Mexican representative to look up to in the main event, Dvalishvili has become something of an honorary Mexican for his sincere efforts to embrace the culture.

In the lead-up to the event, and even long before he was booked to fight on Mexican Independence Day weekend, Dvalishvili has been soaking up and experiencing Mexican culture. Dvalishvili recently visited Entram Gym in Tijuana, where strawweight prospect Yazmin Jauregui got a first-hand look at Dvalishvili’s efforts.

“That was really fun to see,” Jauregui told MMA Junkie in Spanish when asked about Dvalishvili’s embrace of Mexico. “Just the fact that Merab, someone who is one of the best in the world and is fighting for the belt, is embracing our culture so much and learning about our culture, which I consider a beautiful culture, immense culture and history. So the fact that someone would go to another country and try to learn about it and be a part of it, that’s always really fun to see and appreciate.”

“I’ve seen him. I also think he’s making the most of this boom that we’re going through. You see Dana White talking about us and our boxing and our aggressive style. I think (Dvalishvili) connects with that, as a fighter who’s tough and wants to move forward.”

Merab Dvalishvili visited Entram Gym in Tijuana ahead of #UFC306. What a guy. 🤣🇲🇽photo.twitter.com/ldXZ8mncHo

—Danny Segura (@dannyseguratv) September 1, 2024

Jauregui (11-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC), who is also competing against Brazilian Ketlen Souza at UFC 306, was wrapping up her training at Entram Gym last week when she came across Dvalishvili, who needed a dance teacher.

“I was training, working on my strategy, and I heard that he was here to do some work and also train with us a little bit,” Jauregui said. “When I came down from my training, he had just finished teaching a class or training, I don’t know, and he called everyone and asked if we could teach him how to dance.

“I personally love dancing. I think it’s great. Ever since I was a little girl in elementary and middle school, I went to dance classes and participated in school events. For me, el calabaceado, el folklorico, la banda norteño, I can dance all that.

“So when I went down, everyone was like, ‘Oh, the right person for the job just came in.’ So I said, ‘Of course.’ And I also get to be in Merab’s famous videos, so we were just there dancing and teaching him. He’s an amazing person, super humble, and he had a blast with the shave and taking pictures, so that was a nice moment.”

Despite liking Dvalishvili as a person, Jauregui remains neutral when it comes to her prediction for the UFC 306 main event. She thinks it’s a fight that could go either way on paper and she’s excited to see how it plays out.

“Oh my gosh, that’s a tough one,” Jauregui said when asked about her prediction. “This is a very complicated fight, not just for him, but for both of them. O’Malley’s striking is incredible, and you’ve seen him look great in his fight. But on the other hand, Merab’s wrestling is something that he dominates well. We saw him dominate Henry Cejudo, who is a great wrestler.

“So I’m staying neutral on this one. I just want whoever deserves it the most to win the title.”

For more information on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s UFC 306 event hub.