Merab Dvalishvili hopes UFC doesn't waste Ilia Topuria lightweight debut for 'stupid' reason
Merab Dvalishvili hopes UFC doesn't waste Ilia Topuria lightweight debut for 'stupid' reason
Merab Dvalishvili doesn't see a point in the UFC risking a superfight between Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev.
UFC lightweight champion Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) is not sold on former featherweight champion Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) as his next title challenger and wants to see him earn the opportunity first.
Bantamweight champion Dvalishvili argues that Topuria, a fellow Georgian fighter, has vacated his 145-pound title for a move up to lightweight, so it won't be considered as Makhachev fighting a smaller guy.
"He's saying he's not a lightweight, he's featherweight and he's champion," Dvalishvili said on Jake Shields' "Fight Back" podcast. "I know Islam is saying, 'Oh, I don't want to fight small guys,' but Ilia is f*cking the biggest name."
Arman Tsarukyan, who was slated to challenge Makhachev at UFC 311 before pulling out due to a back injury, will have to earn his way back to a title shot. Charles Oliveira (35-10 MMA, 23-10 UFC) insists on fighting for the title next, and Makhachev and his team are currently dismissing Topuria.
Topuria says he was promised a lightweight title shot upon vacating his featherweight title, so who will get the shot at Makhachev? Either way, Dvalishvili is against the idea of the UFC booking Topuria and Oliveira in a title eliminator.
"He already beat Arman," Dvalishvili said of Makhachev. "He beat Oliveira, he beat (Poirier). It's not going to be an easy fight for Ilia, but that's the fight to – Ilia's my friend, I love him, but it's going to be stupid if he fights Oliveira, if he loses against Oliveira. This is the superfight."
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