UFC bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili will be taking some time off from the Octagon as he recovers from hand surgery. According to his manager, Oren Hodak of KO Reps, Dvalishvili recently underwent surgery on his right hand and is currently wearing a cast. The recovery period is expected to last approximately six to eight weeks, and it will likely be three to four months before he returns to competition.

Former UFC bantamweight and flyweight champion Henry Cejudo has expressed interest in fighting Dvalishvili. However, any potential matchup between the two will have to be put on hold for now. Cejudo recently lost to Dvalishvili's teammate, Aljamain Sterling, who currently holds the UFC bantamweight title.

Dvalishvili is currently ranked No. 2 in the bantamweight division by ESPN. He has stated that he will not fight Sterling, which means a potential title shot will have to wait until Sterling is no longer the champion. Sterling is set to defend his 135-pound belt against Sean O'Malley at UFC 292 on August 19 in Boston.

Dvalishvili has been on an impressive winning streak, having won nine consecutive fights. His eight straight victories in the bantamweight division are the second most in UFC history for the weight class. The 32-year-old fighter from the Republic of Georgia most recently defeated former UFC champions Petr Yan and Jose Aldo in back-to-back bouts.