Merab Dvalishvili stated that while he likes Arman Tsarukyan and considers him a great fighter, Ilia Topuria will defeat him. Merab believes Tsarukyan will be unable to take Topuria down and will be knocked out when he tries to box with him. In separate news, Conor McGregor has paid compensation to Artem Lobov for his unpaid contribution to creating the Proper Twelve whiskey brand. The exact amount of the settlement was not disclosed, but Lobov is reportedly satisfied with it. Additionally, Carlos Ulberg lost his belt at a party, and both Renato Moicano and Michael Chandler are training hard for upcoming fights.
Merab Dvalishvili has weighed in on the anticipated lightweight showdown between Ilia Topuria and Arman Tsarukyan, predicting a knockout victory for Topuria. Separately, a long-running financial dispute between Conor McGregor and Artem Lobov has been resolved after McGregor paid Lobov compensation tied to the creation of the Proper Twelve whiskey brand.
Topuria, nicknamed "El Matador," carries a 17-1-0 record and currently sits at number two in the lightweight division while holding the number one spot in the pound-for-pound rankings. The 29-year-old representing Spain lands an impressive 4.81 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy, making him one of the most dangerous finishers in the sport. Dvalishvili's assessment was pointed: he respects Tsarukyan as a great fighter but believes Tsarukyan will be unable to secure takedowns against Topuria, and if the fight becomes a boxing match, Topuria's power will be the deciding factor.
Lobov, a 39-year-old southpaw fighting out of SBG Ireland with a 13-15-1 record, had claimed he played a meaningful role in developing the Proper Twelve brand alongside McGregor but went uncompensated for that contribution. The settlement amount was not made public, though Lobov has indicated he is satisfied with what he received.
Why it matters
- Topuria's pound-for-pound ranking and lightweight contention make his eventual title defense or challenge a marquee event, and teammate Dvalishvili's comments add insider weight to expectations around the Tsarukyan matchup.
- The McGregor-Lobov resolution closes a dispute that drew significant attention to athlete compensation and business partnerships in combat sports.
- With Michael Chandler, 40, sporting a 23-11-0 record and training actively, the lightweight division remains crowded with high-profile names all maneuvering for position.
