Merab Dvalishvili says Tsarukyan can't outwrestle Topuria, would get knocked out

Merab Dvalishvili has gone on record with a bold assessment of the lightweight division's top rivalry, declaring that Arman Tsarukyan would be unable to take down Ilia Topuria and would ultimately get knocked out if the two were to meet.

Dvalishvili, ranked number one in the bantamweight division and second in the pound-for-pound standings, is no stranger to wrestling discourse. The 35-year-old Georgian, who fights out of the Serra-Longo Fight Team, carries one of the most relentless grappling outputs in the sport, averaging 6.4 takedowns per 15 minutes across his career and holding a 21-5 record. His credibility on the subject of wrestling is difficult to dispute.

The target of his skepticism, Tsarukyan, is the number-one ranked lightweight contender. The 29-year-old Russian trains out of American Top Team and brings a 23-3 record into the conversation. He averages 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes and lands significant strikes at a 50 percent accuracy clip, among the sharper rates in the division.

Topuria, meanwhile, sits at number two in the lightweight rankings and tops the pound-for-pound list at just 29 years of age. The Spanish-Georgian fighter holds a 17-1 record and operates out of Climent Club. He averages 4.81 significant strikes per minute and also contributes on the grappling end, averaging 1.96 takedowns per 15 minutes of his own.

Why it matters

• Topuria and Tsarukyan are the top two lightweights in the world, making any commentary on their stylistic matchup highly relevant to the division's near-term future
• Dvalishvili's elite wrestling credentials lend weight to his takedown predictions beyond typical fighter talk
• Topuria's combination of striking volume and his own grappling activity complicates Tsarukyan's usual path to success