Merab Dvalishvili stated that while he likes Arman Tsarukyan and considers him a great fighter, he believes Ilia Topuria will defeat him. Dvalishvili predicts that Tsarukyan will be unable to take Topuria down and will be knocked out when he tries to box with him. Dvalishvili also discussed his own fight with Petr Yan, saying Yan was the only opponent he couldn't have beaten that day because of Yan's special preparation and tough style. He described Yan's body kicks as extremely painful, forcing him to press forward aggressively rather than escape. The post also mentions that Conor McGregor paid Artem Lobov an undisclosed but satisfactory compensation amount, and that Carlos Ulberg lost his championship belt at a party.
Merab Dvalishvili has gone on record predicting that Ilia Topuria will stop Arman Tsarukyan, backing his close teammate to get the finish when the two lightweights eventually meet.
Dvalishvili made clear he holds Tsarukyan in high regard, calling him a great fighter, but argued the Armenian contender will run into serious trouble in two specific areas. According to Dvalishvili, Tsarukyan will be unable to consistently take Topuria down, and the moment he commits to trading punches, he will get knocked out.
Topuria, 29, currently sits at number two in the lightweight division and is ranked first in the pound-for-pound standings with a 17-1-0 record. The Spain-based Georgian is one of the more complete fighters in the sport, averaging 4.81 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy while also threatening with nearly two takedowns per fifteen minutes and over one submission attempt in the same window.
Dvalishvili also opened up about his own loss to Petr Yan, framing it as a unique challenge rather than a straightforward defeat. He said Yan was the one opponent he simply could not have beaten on that particular night, crediting Yan's specific preparation and physical style. He singled out Yan's body kicks as unusually damaging, explaining they forced him to press forward rather than create distance the way he normally would.
Separately, the interview touched on two other notes from around the sport. Conor McGregor has paid Artem Lobov a compensation amount that Lobov found satisfactory, though the specific figure was not disclosed. Meanwhile, light heavyweight contender Carlos Ulberg, who carries a 15-1-0 record and ranks third in his division, reportedly lost his championship belt at a party.
Why it matters
- Topuria at pound-for-pound number one and lightweight number two makes any prediction about his next opponent a storyline with genuine title implications
- Dvalishvili's Yan analysis adds candid personal context from someone who has shared a training environment with Topuria for years
- The Lobov-McGregor resolution closes a long-running dispute that had drawn attention well beyond the sport
Merab Dvalishvili vs Petr Yan
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