Ilia Topuria liked what he saw in the UFC 316 main event between Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley.
Alongside Topuria, Dvalishvili has been leading the charge of Georgian fighters on MMA’s biggest stage. And the bantamweight champion’s latest step toward greatness came on June 7.
Dvalishvili submitted O’Malley at UFC 316, marking his second victory over ‘Suga’ in the space of eight months and adding a second successful defense to his championship reign.
‘The Machine’ has been receiving plenty of plaudits in the aftermath, and among those with heavy praise for him was unsurprisingly one of his fellow countrymen.
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Ilia Topuria brands Merab Dvalishvili a ‘legend’ after dominant UFC 316 win
Topuria and Dvalishvili have long supported each other’s journeys toward gold in the UFC, and that trend continued during UFC 316 fight week when the former sent a message of support online.
‘El Matador’ returned to social media hours after his fellow Georgian fighter’s triumph in Newark, relaying a short but sweet claim about Dvalishvili’s status.
“Nothing else to say. A legend,” Topuria wrote on X.
The bantamweight king is on a fast track to legendary status at 135 pounds, having moved to within one of teammate Aljamain Sterling’s record for the most consecutive title defenses in the division.
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Merab Dvalishvili quickly had his next challenger lined up
When it comes to Dvalishvili’s attempt to level Sterling’s feat in the history books, the champ didn’t have long before having his opponent seemingly confirmed.
During the Georgian’s post-fight interview with Joe Rogan at the Prudential Center, the broadcast cut to Cory Sandhagen in the crowd.
‘The Sandman’ put himself in a strong position by defeating Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC Des Moines in May, and he looks set to be rewarded with a first-ever shot at the undisputed crown.
Dvalishvili later had a friendly exchange with Sandhagen backstage at UFC 316, so it appears their expected matchup will be a respectful affair with limited heat in the build-up.