Arman Tsarukyan jokingly challenges Merab Dvalishvili to wrestling match

A playful social media exchange between two of the UFC's top contenders briefly turned into a mock wrestling rivalry when Arman Tsarukyan challenged Merab Dvalishvili to step onto the mat.

The back-and-forth began when Dvalishvili claimed he could beat Tsarukyan in a wrestling-only matchup. Tsarukyan responded by asking about his weight, and once both confirmed they sit at 70 kg, the Armenian-born Russian contender declared he would win such a contest by a score of 10 to 7. The exchange was clearly tongue-in-cheek, with no indication either fighter is pursuing anything beyond friendly banter.

Tsarukyan, 29, competes at lightweight and holds a record of 23-3-0, currently ranked number one in his division. Fighting out of American Top Team, the Russian has built a reputation as a well-rounded threat, landing 3.85 significant strikes per minute with 50 percent accuracy and averaging 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes.

Dvalishvili, 35, operates one division below at bantamweight, where he is ranked first in the division and second in the UFC pound-for-pound rankings. The Georgian fighter, who trains with the Serra-Longo Fight Team, carries a 21-5-0 record and is one of the sport's most relentless grapplers, averaging an eye-catching 6.4 takedowns per 15 minutes.

Why it matters

• The two fighters compete in different weight classes and are not on a collision course inside the Octagon
• Both are ranked at the top of their respective divisions, making any genuine crossover contest an unlikely scenario
• The exchange highlights the grappling credibility of both men, with Dvalishvili's takedown volume and Tsarukyan's own wrestling-based game making the hypothetical debate genuinely interesting