Merab Dvalishvili has shared his opinion on a potential matchup between Arman Tsarukyan and Ilia Topuria. The bantamweight contender believes that Tsarukyan would be unable to successfully take down Topuria in a grappling exchange. Dvalishvili went further to predict that Tsarukyan would be knocked out by the featherweight champion. The post includes a poll asking if this constitutes competent analysis from Merab or if he's overrating Topuria's skills. These comments add to ongoing speculation about potential future matchups in the UFC's lighter weight divisions.
Merab Dvalishvili has weighed in on a potential featherweight-turned-lightweight clash, arguing that Arman Tsarukyan would be both out-wrestled and knocked out if he ever faced Ilia Topuria.
Dvalishvili, the 35-year-old Georgian who holds the number-one ranking at bantamweight and sits second on the pound-for-pound list, has built his 21-5 record almost entirely on volume and relentless wrestling. Fighting out of the Serra-Longo Fight Team, the five-foot-six orthodox striker averages 6.4 takedowns per 15 minutes — one of the most suffocating rates in the sport — which gives him a particular perspective on what it takes to get someone to the canvas. His view is that Tsarukyan simply does not have the grappling tools to put Topuria there.
Tsarukyan, the 29-year-old Russian ranked first in the lightweight division, carries a 23-3 record and is a credible threat in his own right. He lands 3.85 significant strikes per minute at 50 percent accuracy and averages 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes. Despite those numbers, Dvalishvili does not believe that output would be enough against Topuria, predicting a knockout finish in the featherweight champion's favor.
Topuria himself is now ranked second at lightweight and sits atop the pound-for-pound rankings at 17-1. The 29-year-old Spaniard trains out of Climent Club, stands five-foot-seven with a 69-inch reach, and lands 4.81 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy — numbers that support Dvalishvili's concern about Tsarukyan's chin holding up.
Why it matters
- Topuria holds the number-one pound-for-pound spot and ranks second at lightweight, making any matchup at 155 pounds a title-adjacent conversation
- Tsarukyan is the top-ranked lightweight contender, so a potential Topuria fight carries genuine championship implications
- Dvalishvili's elite wrestling background lends some credibility to his read on the grappling dimension of the stylistic matchup
