Merab Dvalishvili gets 100% real on Ilia Topuria dropping him during sparring sessions: "I can't spar with him anymore"

Merab Dvalishvili and Ilia Topuria are leading the charge of European champions in the UFC. Both men share Georgian roots and a mutual respect that runs deep beyond the cage.

However, when it comes to sparring, it seems like Dvalishvili has drawn a line. The UFC bantamweight champion revealed that he no longer trains with Topuria after getting dropped by body shots during hard rounds. Topuria’s power has become a known problem in gyms, and Dvalishvili isn’t the only one who’s felt it.

Speaking about Topuria's power in a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Dvalishvili said:

"I can't spar with him anymore. He hits hard. He dropped me two times from body shots. Thank God my head is fine. And every time I finished sparring with him, I was like, 'Thank God, it's over.'"

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Check out Merab Dvalishvili's comments below:

Dvalishvili has chosen to stay in the bantamweight division despite Topuria's push for him to chase two-division championship status with a jump to featherweight. 'El Matador' delivered on his promise of a first-round knockout win against Charles Oliveira with a dominant performance at UFC 317.

With this win, Topuria captured the vacant lightweight throne and achieved the record of becoming the first undefeated fighter in the UFC to claim two-division championship status. Dvalishvili, meanwhile, is coming off a dominant submission win against Sean O'Malley in their rematch at UFC 316.

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Merab Dvalishvili reacts to Ilia Topuria’s knockout win over Charles Oliveira at UFC 317

Merab Dvalishvili revealed his admiration for Ilia Topuria after watching the Georgian-Spanish fighter dismantle Charles Oliveira at UFC 317. The bantamweight champion called Topuria special and praised his mindset.

From the way Topuria walks to the cage to how he prepares and executes, Dvalishvili sees a rare level of discipline and intelligence. He noted how Topuria has grown into a well-rounded threat with strong wrestling and jiu-jitsu.

Sharing his thoughts on Topuria's rise in the aforementioned conversation with Ariel Helwani, Dvalishvili said:

"He's just special. He's just different, man. He's so smart. He's so organized. Very organized. Even he's different than his brother [Aleksandre Topuria]. His brother also very talented, very good fighter. But Ilia, he sees things before, he works for it, he has a plan and he's just doing it, man."

Check out Merab Dvalishvili's comments below (16:15):

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Edited by Abhishek Nambiar