Merab Dvalishvili Offers Straight Take on Potential Ilia Topuria vs. Arman Tsarukyan Fight
Merab Dvalishvili has weighed in on a potential superfight between Ilia Topuria and Arman Tsarukyan.
Reigning UFC lightweight champion Topuria is going to meet current and two-time interim champion Justin Gaethje on June 14. After the Georgian-Spaniard gets past the 37-year-old Gaethje, he plans to move up to fight welterweight champion Islam Makhachev. However, if that superfight is delayed, fans can get Topuria vs. Tsarukyan.
The Armenian is the top lightweight contender who wants to serve as backup for the Topuria vs. Gaethje bout, after which he believes the UFC brass will announce his title fight.
Given Ilia Topuria’s elite striking and knockout power, many fans believe only a relentless, backpack-style wrestler like Tsarukyan has the skillset to dethrone “El Matador” at present. However, former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili does not think so.
Merab Dvalishvili believes Arman Tsarukyan’s superpowers won’t be effective against Ilia Topuria
After training with Ilia Topuria in Spain, Merab Dvalishvili is convinced that Topuria won’t be easy game for Arman Tsarukyan.
The Georgian believes Tsarukyan would fail to take Topuria down if they ever lock horns and would then be forced to trade with “El Matador,” and fans already know how that will play out. The Machine” told Demetrious Johnson:
“I respect Arman Tsarukyan, too. He is a great athlete and a great fighter. But since Ilia is the champion in this weight class, even if Arman fights Ilia, Ilia stylistically beats Arman. You can’t take Ilia down; it doesn’t even make sense to wrestle with him. Then Arman has to box with Ilia too, and then Ilia will knock out Arman Tsarukyan.”
Check out Merab Dvalishvili’s comments about potential Ilia Topuria vs. Arman Tsarukyan below:
Meanwhile, “Mighty Mouse,” who has trained with Tsarukyan recently, believes the latter has all the tools a fighter needs to dethrone a knockout artist like Topuria.
