Merab Dvalishvili has recently aligned with Aljamain Sterling in expressing his dissatisfaction over the tactics used by their mutual BJJ opponent, Kevin Dantzler.

The worlds of MMA and Jiu-Jitsu, though sharing some commonalities, differ greatly in rules and approach.
For instance, one distinction in Jiu-Jitsu is the allowance of guard pulling – a strategic move especially effective against opponents with superior standing grappling skills.

This strategy, however, sparked Sterling’s frustration at Fury Pro Grappling 8. His opponent, Dantzler, chose to play guard instead of engaging in a standing wrestling match.
Sterling’s inability to pass Dantzler’s guard and his reluctance to take risks led to his defeat by decision.

So, the UFC fighter expressed his discontent:

Another competitor cannot drag himself from the mat doing nothing and be considered the winner.

Yes, the sport is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. But I am certain that if this had been a street fight, my opponent would not have acted in that way.
So why are we turning the sport into some kind of strange spectacle where you can win a match while doing nothing on your back?

Aljamain Sterling very upset with his loss to Kevin Dantzler 😬 #FURYPRO8 pic.twitter.com/moL3rgHoAa

— COMBAT SPORTS TODAY (@CSTodayNews) December 31, 2023

Dvalishvili, too, shares this sentiment – having faced a similar situation and outcome against Dantzler at Fury Pro Grappling 2.
He took it to his official Twitter account to voice his criticism of Dantzler’s approach in their BJJ matches, stating:

This is the same guy who butt-scooted with Aljamain Sterling 2 weeks ago.

He gives Jiu-Jitsu a bad name.

This is the same guy who butt-scooted with @funkmasterMMA 2 weeks ago. He gives JiuJitsu a bad name pic.twitter.com/EaygFfPNHa

— Merab “The Machine” Dvalishvili (@MerabDvalishvil) January 9, 2024