Arman Tsarukyan playfully proposed a wrestling match to Merab Dvalishvili and claimed he could defeat him 10-7. The exchange began when Dvalishvili told Tsarukyan he would beat him in wrestling. When Tsarukyan asked about weight, both fighters noted they weigh around 70 kg. The interaction appears to be lighthearted banter between the two fighters, with Tsarukyan expressing confidence in his wrestling abilities against the bantamweight champion.
Arman Tsarukyan and Merab Dvalishvili traded some lighthearted trash talk recently, with the lightweight contender playfully challenging the bantamweight champion to a wrestling match and claiming he would come out on top by a score of 10-7.
The exchange was sparked when Dvalishvili told Tsarukyan he would beat him on the mat. Tsarukyan pushed back, asking about the weight, and both men noted they sit at around 70 kg. From there, Tsarukyan leaned into the banter and expressed confidence that his wrestling would hold up against one of the division's most decorated grapplers.
Dvalishvili, 35, is no stranger to that kind of confidence from opponents — it rarely holds up. The Georgian fighter out of Serra-Longo Fight Team carries a record of 21-5-0 and holds the bantamweight title while sitting second in the pound-for-pound rankings. His grappling output is among the most relentless in the sport, averaging 6.4 takedowns per 15 minutes, and he adds 4.33 significant strikes per minute to keep opponents constantly guessing.
Tsarukyan, 29, represents the other side of this playful exchange. The Russian southpaw trains out of American Top Team and stands as the top-ranked lightweight contender with a record of 23-3-0. He is no slouch in the grappling department himself, averaging 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes, and he pairs that with a 50 percent striking accuracy rate.
Why it matters
- Two of the UFC's elite grapplers are in each other's social media orbit, adding an entertaining dimension to both of their profiles
- Dvalishvili's 6.4 takedowns per 15 minutes dwarfs Tsarukyan's 3.26, making the confident 10-7 claim a fun talking point
- Both fighters compete in different divisions, so any crossover remains purely hypothetical for now
