Merab Dvalishvili has offered his prediction for a potential Ilia Topuria versus Arman Tsarukyan fight, stating that Topuria would knock out Tsarukyan. Dvalishvili believes Tsarukyan would be unable to take Topuria down and would fall to strikes when attempting to box with him. Regarding his own loss to Petr Yan, Dvalishvili praised Yan's unique style and preparation, noting that Yan landed painful body kicks during their fight. The Georgian fighter explained that in one instance he ran away with 25 seconds remaining, but on the second body kick he had to press forward through the pain. Additional news in the post included Conor McGregor settling his compensation dispute with Artem Lobov over Proper Twelve whiskey, with both parties satisfied but keeping the settlement amount private. Carlos Ulberg reportedly lost his championship belt at a party, and there was commentary on training footage from various fighters.
Merab Dvalishvili has gone on record with a bold prediction for a potential matchup between Ilia Topuria and Arman Tsarukyan, declaring that Topuria would finish Tsarukyan by knockout, while also opening up about the painful details of his own defeat to Petr Yan.
Speaking in a recent interview, the Georgian bantamweight contender argued that Tsarukyan would struggle to take Topuria down and would ultimately be stopped when forced to exchange on the feet. Dvalishvili was candid about the Yan fight as well, praising his opponent's distinctive style and preparation and recalling the specific physical toll of Yan's body kicks. He described one moment where he retreated with about 25 seconds left on the clock, but said that when a second body kick landed, he had no choice but to push through the pain and press forward.
Topuria, 29, enters any such conversation as perhaps the most scrutinized fighter in the sport right now. Ranked second in the lightweight division and sitting at the top of the pound-for-pound rankings with a 17-1 record, the Spain-based Georgian is a legitimate finishing threat, landing 4.81 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy while also averaging 1.96 takedowns per 15 minutes.
The same report included a separate update involving Artem Lobov, 39, the Ireland-based southpaw who competes at 13-15-1. Lobov and Conor McGregor have reportedly settled their long-running compensation dispute related to Proper Twelve Irish whiskey, with both parties said to be satisfied though the financial terms were kept private.
Also mentioned in the report was a curious note involving Carlos Ulberg, the 35-year-old New Zealand light heavyweight ranked third in his division. Ulberg, who carries a 15-1 record and leads the division in output at 6.54 significant strikes per minute with 55 percent accuracy, reportedly misplaced his championship belt at a party.
Why it matters
- Dvalishvili's prediction adds public pressure to a potential Topuria versus Tsarukyan lightweight title fight
- His reflection on the Yan loss offers rare tactical insight from a fighter often praised for relentless output
- The Lobov-McGregor settlement closes a high-profile legal dispute that had lingered outside the cage
