"I say it with pride: you’re a living legend!" - Ilia Topuria celebrates Merab Dvalishvili’s win over Cory Sandhagen with touching post after UFC 320

Ilia Topuria (right) praises Merab Dvalishvili (left) after UFC 320 win. [Images courtesy: Getty]
Ilia Topuria (right) praises Merab Dvalishvili (left) after UFC 320 win. [Images courtesy: Getty]

There was no mistaking the emotion in Ilia Topuria’s reaction after Merab Dvalishvili’s dominant performance at UFC 320. Dvalishvili successfully defended his bantamweight title for the third time, outworking Cory Sandhagen across five high-action rounds.

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He scored 20 takedowns in the fight and set a new record for UFC title fights. Topuria, who shares a deep connection with Dvalishvili through their Georgian heritage, expressed immense pride in his compatriot’s latest triumph.

Topuria took to X to congratulate Dvalishvili, writing:

"Brother, we’ve reached the point where your victories seem almost normal. But we all know how hard it is to get there. I say it with pride: you’re a living legend!!!! An example of hard work, sacrifice, and heart. Beyond the fighter, you’re an incredible person, with a soul too big for your chest. We love you, we support you, and we’re with you every step of the way."
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Check out Ilia Topuria's X post below:

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'The Machine,' meanwhile, holds Topuria in the highest regard, often labeling him as the best fighter on the roster today in several interviews.

Dvalishvili now holds the longest winning streak in UFC bantamweight history, with thirteen consecutive victories at 135 pounds and fourteen overall. His title reign began with a win over Sean O’Malley, followed by defenses against Umar Nurmagomedov, a rematch with O’Malley, and now Sandhagen.


When Merab Dvalishvili revealed why he stopped sparring with Ilia Topuria

Merab Dvalishvili reflected on his training sessions with Ilia Topuria earlier this year. The bantamweight champion and the newly crowned lightweight king have trained together several times in the past.

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Dvalishvili revealed he no longer spars with Topuria after getting dropped multiple times during their sessions. Speaking in a conversation on The Ariel Helwani Show, he said:

"I spar with him, he has great wrestling, great jiu-jitsu, we all know that. No, [we didn’t spar] last week. I can’t spar with him anymore; he hits hard. He dropped me two times from the body shot. Thank God my head is fine! Every time I finish sparring with him, I was happy, like thank God.”

Dvalishvili and Topuria represent the fresh crop of fighters with Georgian roots who have taken the UFC by storm. Dvalishvili has claimed that he wants to compete again in December after the win against Cory Sandhagen. If he manages to do that, he would become the first champion in UFC history to defend his title four times in a year.

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Edited by Abhishek Nambiar
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