It’s safe to say that Merab Dvalishvili will never spar with Ilia Topuria again after UFC 317.
UFC champions Merab Dvalishvili and Ilia Topuria are two of MMA’s most beloved stars after their statement wins this month in the Octagon. Dvalishvili stopped Sean O’Malley in their bantamweight title rematch at UFC 316, and Topuria knocked out Charles Oliveira for the then-vacant lightweight title at UFC 317 on Saturday.
Dvalishvili and Topuria are two of the greatest athletes to come out of Georgia, a small country that borders Russia and Turkey. While Dvalishvili and Topuria no longer live in Georgia, both UFC superstars use their platforms to celebrate their native country and often celebrate victories with Georgian fans.
Merab Dvalishvili shares hilarious story about why he no longer spars with Ilia Topuria
Dvalishvili and Topuria share a unique, longtime friendship, stemming from when both fighters were working their way up towards title contention. While they’ve trained together a few times during their careers, they’ll likely never have another sparring session, according to the UFC bantamweight champion.
In a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Dvalishvili explained why he no longer spars with his fellow Georgian amid their UFC success.
“He’s so organized. Ilia, he sees things before, he works for it, and he has plans,” Dvalishvili said of Topuria.
“I can’t spar with him anymore [LAUGHS], because he hits [too] hard. He dropped me two times from body shots.
“Thank God that my head is fine! Every time that I finished sparring with him, I was happy, ‘Thank God it’s over!'”
Now that Topuria is a full-time lightweight, it’s safe to say that a spar between the newly-minted lightweight champion and Dvalishvili wouldn’t end well. But Dvalishvili has showcased the ability to take big shots throughout his career, especially in wins over O’Malley and former title challenger Marlon Moraes.
As of this writing, Georgia stakes claim in two UFC world titleholders. Meanwhile, the United States only has one current UFC titleholder, women’s bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison.
Ilia Topuria vs. Paddy Pimblett showdown hits potential delay after UFC 319 star leaks fight
After knocking out Oliveira at UFC 317, Topuria turned his full-time attention towards a showdown with longtime rival Paddy Pimblett. Topuria and Pimblett had a tense faceoff in the cage just minutes after Topuria’s win.
But a potential Topuria vs. Pimblett showdown might have to wait, after UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis leaked an alleged co-main event at UFC 319. According to du Plessis, Pimblett and Justin Gaethje will compete in the UFC 319 co-headliner in Chicago.
As of this writing, the UFC matchmakers haven’t announced Pimblett and Gaethje’s next bookings. UFC CEO Dana White was non-committal to Topuria facing Pimblett when asked at the UFC 317 post-fight press conference.