Merab Dvalishvili stated that while Arman Tsarukyan is a great fighter, Ilia Topuria will defeat him by knockout. Dvalishvili believes Tsarukyan won't be able to take Topuria down and will fall when he tries to box with him. Reflecting on his own fight with Petr Yan, Dvalishvili said Yan was the only opponent who could have beaten him that night, praising Yan's unique style and preparation. He noted that Yan's body kicks were extremely painful, forcing him to press forward at times rather than retreat. In other news, Conor McGregor has paid compensation to Artem Lobov for his unpaid contribution to the Proper Twelve whiskey brand, though the exact amount was not disclosed. Carlos Ulberg reportedly lost his championship belt at a party, and Michael Chandler continues his training preparations.
Merab Dvalishvili has gone on record predicting that Ilia Topuria will stop Arman Tsarukyan by knockout, offering a candid breakdown of why he believes the lightweight title fight will end in Topuria's favor.
Dvalishvili's central argument is straightforward: Tsarukyan will struggle to take Topuria down, and the moment he decides to trade hands, he will pay for it. Topuria, ranked number two at lightweight and the current pound-for-pound top fighter in the world according to the AgentMMA rankings, carries a 17-1-0 record and operates at a high-volume, accurate pace — landing 4.81 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy. The 29-year-old Spaniard trains out of Climent Club and has built a reputation as one of the most dangerous finishers in the sport.
Dvalishvili also used the interview to reflect on his own experience facing Petr Yan, offering praise for the former bantamweight champion's craft. He described Yan as the one opponent who could have beaten him that night, highlighting Yan's unorthodox style and sharp preparation. Dvalishvili specifically called out Yan's body kicks as exceptionally damaging, noting they forced him to push forward rather than create distance the way he normally would.
Separately, Artem Lobov has received compensation from Conor McGregor related to his unpaid contributions to the Proper Twelve whiskey brand. The exact figure was not disclosed. Lobov, a 39-year-old southpaw fighting out of SBG Ireland, carries a 13-15-1 professional record and has long maintained that his involvement in building the brand went unrecognized financially.
Why it matters
- Topuria's pound-for-pound standing makes his next lightweight defense one of the most anticipated bouts in the division
- Dvalishvili's firsthand account of facing Yan adds rare insider context to how elite fighters game-plan against the Russian
- The McGregor-Lobov settlement closes a long-running dispute between two former SBG teammates
