“You may be seeing the best Volk you’ve ever seen… I’m only going to get better from here.” Alexander Volkanovski recently declared, issuing a warning to anyone eyeing his throne ahead of his UFC 314 title fight against Diego Lopes. Enter Merab Dvalishvili! Earlier this month, ‘The Machine’ expressed his desire to vacate his 135lbs strap if fellow Georgian Alexandre Topuria came knocking on his door for a title shot. Moreover, Dvalishvili gave us a tantalizing prospect of either moving down to 125lbs or up to 145lbs to add further to his already illustrious legacy. But hold your horses! The latter plan may have a problem. The Georgian powerhouse has made it clear that he won’t challenge Volk for the title!
So, did Dvalishvili choose to veer off a similar path Ilia Topuria laid out for himself at 155lbs because he sensed danger ahead? Just when fans expected a frenzy in the featherweight division, ‘The Machine’ threw a curveball. While Topuria is off chasing lightweight gold, the reigning bantamweight champion has made one thing clear, if Volkanovski reclaims the vacant title, he won’t be the one to challenge him. Why? Out of love and respect. That’s right. Not fear. Not risk aversion. Just pure admiration for perhaps the greatest 145lbs champ in company history.
In a sport where respect is often overshadowed by trash talk, Dvalishvili’s stance is refreshing, but let’s not pretend it isn’t also a bit of a roadblock in the UFC’s matchmaking plans. Speaking in a recent interview with Manouk Akopyan, he shut down the idea of stepping into the cage with Volkanovski. “It’s nothing like I don’t want to take a risk, or it’s nothing like I’m scared or something,” he said. “But I just have so much respect, I just don’t want to fight Alex Volkanovski.”
While Dvalishvili is making his stance clear, Topuria is sprinting in the opposite direction. The soon-to-be former featherweight champion isn’t just moving up in weight, he’s gunning for Islam Makhachev’s lightweight throne. “I really believe that I can beat the current champion, Islam,” The Spanish-Georgian said on the Full Send Podcast. Confidence? Check. Ambition? Double check. But the Dagestani and his camp? Not interested. “No man, I’m tired of giving chances to small guys,” the lightweight kingpin shot back.
So, while Topuria is all-in on a weight class jump, the reigning champ isn’t exactly rolling out the welcome mat. With Topuria gone and Volkanovski potentially reclaiming his title, where does this leave Merab?
Is Merab Dvalishvili in a double-champ dilemma?
The Georgian juggernaut has been eyeing a second belt, but his options just got a little trickier. Featherweight? Off the table if Volkanovski’s holding the belt. Dropping down to flyweight? That’s where Alexandre Pantoja comes in. The reigning 125-pound champ has been running out of challengers and has already thrown Dvalishvili’s name into the mix. A fight between the two would be an absolute chaos-fest, but is that where ‘The Machine’ wants to go next?
And then there’s the unfinished business with Sean O’Malley. UFC CEO Dana White has already hinted at a rematch between Dvalishvili and the former title holder whose first fight ended with the Georgian claiming a dominant decision win. “They want to fight each other, and I think people want to see it,” the head honcho said at the UFC Seattle post-fight press conference. The catch? O’Malley hasn’t fought since losing the belt and is still recovering from an injury. If that fight happens, Dvalishvili’s double-champ dreams might have to be put on hold a little longer.
MMA: UFC 311 Dvalishvili vs Nurmagomedov Jan 18, 2025, Inglewood, California, USA Merab Dvalishvili’s red gloves are introduced for a bout against Umar Nurmagomedov not pictured during UFC 311 at Intuit Dome. Inglewood Intuit Dome California USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xGaryxA.xVasquezx 20250118_jhp_sv5_0375
Meanwhile, Ilia Topuria’s journey at lightweight isn’t as smooth as he might have hoped. The newly crowned contender has his eyes locked on Islam Makhachev’s title, but before he gets there, he might have to prove himself against a top-ranked opponent. The issue? Most fighters aren’t exactly lining up to face ‘El Matador’ after he’s flattened some of the sport’s best, including a vicious knockout win over Jai Herbert in a 2022 lightweight bout. But Beneil Dariush is an exception!
Unlike most, the #9 ranked 155fer isn’t shying away from the challenge. “To be honest with you, bro, like no one seems to want to fight Ilia Topuria if that’s an option. I take that fight. Bro, he’s such a great fighter. Like, what an opportunity. I’d love to fight him,” Dariush told Submission Radio.
Of course, stepping into the cage with Topuria is no easy task. Dariush knows exactly what makes ‘El Matador’ so dangerous, his unpredictability. “His opponents worry about his boxing, but then he kicks relentlessly and forces them to drop their guard. That’s when he closes in and drops them with his hands,” he explained. Though ‘Blessed’ and Volkanovski were fast, Topuria’s precision and power ultimately sealed their fate.
So, while ‘El Matador’ is chasing lightweight gold and Volkanovski is preparing to reclaim his throne, Merab Dvalishvili finds himself at a crossroads, respected, feared, and still waiting to see which path he takes next. One thing’s certain, it won’t be against ‘The Great’. Out of all the reasons fighters have given for turning down fights, this one might just be the most wholesome.
What do you think? Should ‘The Machine’ shake things up with a flyweight war against Pantoja? Run it back with O’Malley? Or will a new contender emerge? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
The post Merab Dvalishvili Rejects Ilia Topuria’s UFC Blueprint in Show of Respect for Alexander Volkanovski appeared first on EssentiallySports.
