UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili shared his thoughts on the upcoming lightweight title fight and his own past performance. Dvalishvili predicts that Ilia Topuria will defeat Arman Tsarukyan, stating that Tsarukyan will be unable to take Topuria down and will be knocked out when he tries to box with the champion. Reflecting on his own fight with Petr Yan, Merab acknowledged that Yan was the only fighter who could have beaten him that night, crediting Yan's unique style and preparation. He specifically mentioned painful body kicks from Yan that forced him to push forward rather than retreat. In other news, Carlos Ulberg reportedly lost his belt at a party, and Conor McGregor settled his compensation dispute with Artem Lobov, with Lobov satisfied with the undisclosed amount.
Merab Dvalishvili has been making headlines away from the cage, offering a pointed prediction for the upcoming lightweight title fight while also looking back honestly at the only blemish he considers meaningful in his own career.
The UFC bantamweight champion weighed in on the lightweight title picture, forecasting that Ilia Topuria will stop Arman Tsarukyan by knockout. Dvalishvili's reasoning was direct: Tsarukyan will be unable to take Topuria down, and the moment he tries to exchange on the feet, the champion will put him away. Topuria, 29, carries a 17-1 record and currently sits at number one in the pound-for-pound rankings despite being ranked second in the lightweight division. The Georgian-born Spaniard lands 4.81 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy and mixes in nearly two takedowns per 15 minutes of his own, making the wrestling-versus-striking dynamic Dvalishvili described a credible concern for Tsarukyan.
On the subject of his own record, Dvalishvili reflected candidly on his defeat to Petr Yan, crediting Yan as the one fighter uniquely equipped to beat him that night. He pointed specifically to punishing body kicks that forced him to press forward rather than retreat, disrupting the relentless forward pressure that defines his game.
Elsewhere in the news, light heavyweight contender Carlos Ulberg of New Zealand reportedly misplaced his belt at a party. The City Kickboxing product holds a 15-1 record, ranks third in the division at 35 years old, and owns a striking output of 6.54 significant strikes per minute with a 55 percent accuracy rate. Separately, Conor McGregor resolved a long-standing compensation dispute with Artem Lobov, with the 39-year-old Irishman expressing satisfaction with the undisclosed settlement figure.
Why it matters
- Dvalishvili's prediction adds narrative weight to Topuria vs. Tsarukyan ahead of a lightweight title fight with major divisional consequences
- His Yan reflection offers rare public self-assessment from a reigning champion on a past defeat
- The McGregor-Lobov settlement closes a legal chapter that had lingered publicly for some time
