Merab Dvalishvili has shared his prediction for a potential fight between Ilia Topuria and Arman Tsarukyan. Dvalishvili stated that while he likes Tsarukyan as a fighter, he believes Topuria will win the matchup. The Georgian fighter predicted that Tsarukyan will be unable to take Topuria down and will ultimately be knocked out when he tries to box with the featherweight champion. Dvalishvili also reflected on his fight with Petr Yan, acknowledging that Yan had a special style and truly prepared for him. He described suffering painful body kicks from Yan during their fight, noting that the pain was so intense in one instance that he had to press forward on strikes because he couldn't run away.
Merab Dvalishvili has gone on record with a bold prediction for a potential showdown between Ilia Topuria and Arman Tsarukyan, backing his Georgian compatriot to finish Tsarukyan by knockout.
Dvalishvili, 35, holds a 21-5 record and sits as the number-one ranked bantamweight and the number-two pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Fighting out of the Serra-Longo Fight Team, the Georgian known as "The Machine" is one of the sport's most relentless wrestlers, averaging an extraordinary 6.4 takedowns per 15 minutes. His prediction carries weight given his familiarity with elite-level grappling and what it takes to neutralize a fighter on the ground.
The fighter he is predicting to win, Topuria, has climbed to number two in the lightweight division and sits atop the pound-for-pound rankings at just 29 years old. The Spain-based Georgian, now carrying a 17-1 record, averages 4.81 significant strikes per minute and lands at a 48 percent accuracy rate. Dvalishvili's view is that Tsarukyan will fail to take Topuria down and will get stopped once the fight turns into a boxing exchange.
Dvalishvili also opened up about his own recent experience against Petr Yan. The Russian Yan, 33, owns a 20-5 record and carries a 54 percent striking accuracy — the highest of the three fighters discussed — while landing 5.12 significant strikes per minute. Dvalishvili acknowledged that Yan brought a genuinely unique style and came into their fight with a specific game plan. He described absorbing severe body kicks from Yan, with one shot so damaging that he had no option but to walk forward into the punches rather than retreat.
Why it matters
- Topuria is now competing at lightweight, ranked second, making a potential fight with Tsarukyan a title-contention bout with major divisional stakes.
- Dvalishvili's wrestling background gives him a credible perspective on whether Tsarukyan can successfully take Topuria to the mat.
- His candid reflection on the Yan fight highlights how Yan's striking volume and accuracy posed problems even for one of the division's most durable competitors.
