UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili shared his predictions and reflections on recent fights. Dvalishvili believes that while Arman Tsarukyan is an excellent fighter, Ilia Topuria will defeat him by knockout after Tsarukyan fails to secure takedowns and attempts to box with the featherweight champion. Reflecting on his own title fight, Merab stated he could have beaten anyone that day except Petr Yan, praising Yan's unique style and preparation. He specifically recalled painful body kicks from Yan that forced him to press forward rather than retreat. In other news mentioned, Conor McGregor has compensated Artem Lobov for his contribution to Proper Twelve whiskey, Carlos Ulberg lost his championship belt at a party, and Alex Pereira's physique in recent training footage differed from fan expectations.
Merab Dvalishvili has gone on record with a bold prediction for the Ilia Topuria versus Arman Tsarukyan lightweight title fight, forecasting a knockout victory for Topuria after Tsarukyan's wrestling comes up short and the fight transitions into a striking battle.
Dvalishvili, the reigning UFC bantamweight champion, laid out his reasoning in a recent interview. He believes Tsarukyan will struggle to secure the takedowns he needs and will ultimately be drawn into a boxing exchange with Topuria — a scenario he expects the featherweight champion to capitalise on decisively. Topuria, 29, holds a 17-1-0 record and currently sits at number two in the lightweight division and number one in the pound-for-pound rankings. Fighting out of Spain under the Climent Club banner, he lands 4.81 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy, and adds a credible grappling threat with nearly two takedowns per 15 minutes.
Dvalishvili also reflected on his own championship run, singling out Petr Yan as a fighter he believes he could not have beaten regardless of form on the night. He credited Yan's unique style and preparation, recalling in particular how painful body kicks forced him to push forward rather than create distance.
The interview touched on several other notes from around the sport. Conor McGregor has reportedly compensated Artem Lobov for his role in building the Proper Twelve whiskey brand. Lobov, 39, carries a 13-15-1 professional record and is a longtime SBG Ireland product. Separately, light heavyweight contender Carlos Ulberg — ranked third at 185 pounds with a 15-1-0 record and a punishing 6.54 significant strikes per minute — reportedly misplaced his championship belt at a social gathering. Finally, training footage of Alex Pereira drew comment after his physique appeared to differ from what fans had anticipated.
Why it matters
- Topuria's predicted path to victory hinges on neutralising Tsarukyan's wrestling, a key stylistic question for the lightweight title fight
- Dvalishvili's candid assessment of the Yan loss adds rare insight into the champion's own perceived ceiling
- The Lobov-McGregor settlement closes a long-running dispute tied to one of combat sports' most commercially successful ventures
