Merab Dvalishvili issues final verdict on potential Ilia Topuria fight at featherweight: "I've been sparring with him"

UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili recently weighed in on potentially fighting Ilia Topuria at featherweight.

'The Machine' is scheduled to lock horns with Sean O'Malley at UFC 316 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on June 7. Their initial outing at UFC 306 witnessed the Georgian dominate 'Suga' and secure the victory via unanimous decision. He then successfully defended his title against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 earlier this year.

Meanwhile, 'El Matador' vacated his 145-pound title in pursuit of lightweight championship aspirations. Topuria is set to fight Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on June 28.

In an interview with Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo in a recent episode of the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Dvalishvili claimed he would never fight Topuria, stating:

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"Never, I would never fight Ilia first. He's my brother, I really love him. And, I've been sparring with him and he destroyed me, he's stronger than me. I'm not afraid to fight. But Ilia is my friend, Georgian and I will never fight him. I am very comfortable in my weight class. I don't think I will go up and fight for the belt."

Check out Merab Dvalishvili's comments below:

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Merab Dvalishvili gets honest about toe injury ahead of Sean O'Malley rematch

Merab Dvalishvili recently touched on his supposed toe injury. Speaking to his friend and teammate Aljamain Sterling, 'The Machine' issued a final verdict on whether or not he's truly injured going into the Sean O'Malley rematch.

He said:

"I felt it. It was real. I finished the round. It was no problem. At night time, I felt the pain. I put the ice, but the next days, it was [swelling] black and blue. Yeah, it wasn't bad. It's still chubby but it's a little toe. I feel it every time I kick now. But when I walk, no problem. I should be fine."

Check out Merab Dvalishvili's comments below:

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About the author

Sunil holds a Bachelor of Science degree in visual communication. He started his professional career in 2023 and has previously worked with FirstSportz and Levitate Studios, among other organizations.

Sunil was drawn to MMA by Conor McGregor, especially the Irishman’s crossover boxing bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2017. His favorite fighter is Jorge Masvidal for his wild and unorthodox approach.

Surprisingly, ‘The Notorious’ and ‘Gamebred’ do not find a place in his Mt. Rushmore, which includes Chuck Liddell, Anderson Silva, Alex Pereira, Daniel Cormier, and Khabib Nurmagomedov. He feels ONE Championship’s Rodtang Jitmuangnon has the ability to succeed in the UFC due to his power.

Sunil is of the opinion that the UFC is not doing enough to prevent eye pokes and does not mind soccer kicks in MMA.

In his free time, he likes to watch anime and films in general. He’s also a boxing historian, having gotten into the sport watching videos of fighters like Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran.

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Edited by Sunil Krishnan