Merab Dvalishvili has shared his prediction for a potential fight between Ilia Topuria and Arman Tsarukyan. While Dvalishvili says he likes Tsarukyan and considers him a wonderful fighter, he believes 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 the Georgian featherweight champion. In the same interview, Dvalishvili reflected on his rematch with Petr Yan, stating he could have beaten anyone that day except Yan, and praised Yan's special style and preparation. Dvalishvili recounted how Yan's body kicks caused him significant pain, forcing him to press forward on strikes rather than retreat.
Merab Dvalishvili has gone on record with a clear prediction for a potential lightweight title fight between Ilia Topuria and Arman Tsarukyan, forecasting that Topuria will stop Tsarukyan by knockout.
Speaking in a recent interview, the 35-year-old Georgian bantamweight contender said that while he holds Tsarukyan in high regard as a fighter, he does not see a path to victory for him against the current champion. Dvalishvili specifically argued that Tsarukyan will be unable to get the fight to the ground and that if he tries to engage in a straight boxing match, Topuria will knock him out.
Topuria, 29, is ranked first pound-for-pound in the UFC and sits at number two in the lightweight division with a 17-1-0 record. Fighting out of Spain under the Climent Club banner, the orthodox striker lands 4.81 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy and also averages nearly two takedowns per fifteen minutes, making him a genuine two-way threat.
Dvalishvili himself carries a 21-5-0 record and holds the number-one contender spot at bantamweight. In the same interview, he reflected candidly on his rematch loss to Petr Yan, saying he felt capable of beating virtually anyone that day — with Yan being the sole exception. He credited Yan's distinctive style and meticulous preparation, and described how repeated body kicks forced him to move forward into strikes rather than create space in the way he typically does.
Yan, now the bantamweight champion at 33 years old, carries a 20-5-0 mark and lands 5.12 significant strikes per minute at an elite 54 percent accuracy, numbers that help explain the punishment Dvalishvili described absorbing.
Why it matters
- Topuria's pound-for-pound standing means any fight involving him carries enormous divisional weight at lightweight
- Dvalishvili's comments on the Yan rematch offer rare insight into how the champion's body-kick offense can disrupt even elite pressure fighters
- A Topuria-Tsarukyan matchup remains unconfirmed, keeping Dvalishvili's prediction in the realm of informed speculation for now
