Merab Dvalishvili has disclosed that he was unable to take down Ilia Topuria during their training sessions together. The admission highlights the defensive wrestling ability of the featherweight champion.
Merab Dvalishvili has revealed a telling detail from his training partnership with Ilia Topuria, admitting that he was never able to successfully take down the featherweight champion during their sessions together.
The disclosure carries significant weight given who is making it. Dvalishvili, known by his nickname "The Machine," is the number-one ranked bantamweight in the world and sits second in the pound-for-pound rankings. The 35-year-old Georgian, who trains out of the Serra-Longo Fight Team, carries a 21-5 record and is widely regarded as one of the most relentless wrestlers in the sport. His numbers back that reputation up — he averages an extraordinary 6.4 takedowns per 15 minutes, a figure that places him among the elite grapplers across all divisions.
That a fighter with those credentials could not bring Topuria to the mat speaks to the defensive wrestling ability of "El Matador." Now competing at lightweight after vacating his featherweight title, the 29-year-old Spaniard holds a 17-1 record and is currently ranked second at lightweight while sitting at the top of the pound-for-pound rankings. Standing five-foot-seven with a 69-inch reach, Topuria is an active and accurate striker, landing 4.81 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy, but also demonstrates a credible grappling game of his own with nearly two takedowns per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Dvalishvili averaging 6.4 takedowns per 15 minutes makes his inability to score on Topuria a genuine measure of the champion's defensive wrestling
- Topuria's grappling credentials are often understated compared to his striking; this account adds evidence to his all-around skill set
- Both men rank inside the top two of the pound-for-pound list, giving any detail about their dynamic outsized relevance to divisional conversations
