Merab Dvalishvili is weighing in on the UFC’s next lightweight title fight, and he’s not backing the man who just delivered one of the most emphatic wins of UFC 331.
“I think Gaethje should give Topuria the rematch. Ilia was champion and he needs rematch,” Dvalishvili said.
Arman Tsarukyan’s Knockout at UFC 331 Makes the Case Difficult to Ignore
Merab Dvalishvili’s stance comes despite Arman Tsarukyan delivering a statement performance just days ago. Tsarukyan knocked out Mauricio Ruffy with a brutal two-elbow combination in the final seconds of the first round at UFC 331, extending his win streak to six straight fights and moving to 24-3.
Tsarukyan wasted no time calling for the title shot in his post-fight interview, saying he needed that kind of finish heading into a championship fight, and the win has left many, including UFC commentators, arguing it would be difficult for the promotion to look past him for the next crack at gold.
Merab Dvalishvili’s Own Path Back to the Belt Shapes His Perspective
Merab Dvalishvili’s comments arrive from a place of personal experience with title defenses and championship urgency. Dvalishvili successfully defended his bantamweight title three times in 2025 before attempting a fourth defense against Petr Yan at UFC 323 in December, a fight he lost by unanimous decision, ending his reign and denying him what would have been a record four title defenses in a single calendar year.
Ilia Topuria, by contrast, never defended the lightweight title even once, having lost his first defense attempt to Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 after suffering fractures to both orbital bones and a broken nose. Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 333 is going to rematch against Yan to reclaim the belt, a parallel that appears to inform his sympathy for Topuria’s position.
Justin Gaethje and Ali Abdelaziz Have Already Shut Down Rematch Talk
Justin Gaethje’s own camp doesn’t share Merab Dvalishvili’s view. Justin Gaethje has publicly ruled out an immediate rematch with Topuria, saying flatly that “he’s not fighting me next” and arguing Tsarukyan has earned the next opportunity instead.
Ali Abdelaziz, who manages Gaethje, has also pushed back against prioritizing Topuria, instead expressing interest in a potential matchup between Topuria and free agent Usman Nurmagomedov rather than running back the Topuria fight.
With Gaethje and his management team seemingly aligned against an immediate rematch, Merab Dvalishvili’s endorsement of Topuria may carry symbolic weight, but it stands in direct conflict with the wishes of the champion himself.
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