After a relatively quiet stretch on the UFC calendar, the promotion’s stratosphere is beginning to heat up as the action barrels toward the first major pay-per-view of 2026 at UFC 324. Former bantamweight king Merab Dvalishvili has added fuel to the fire, delivering a bold prediction involving Ilia Topuria should a long-rumoured superfight with Islam Makhachev ever materialise.
While Makhachev has made it clear that any meeting with Topuria would have to take place on his terms, Dvalishvili isn’t convinced that would be enough to sway the outcome. In his view, Topuria’s power remains a decisive factor, even against the reigning pound-for-pound king.
Merab Dvalishvili’s Firsthand Endorsement Fuels UFC Superfight Debate As Makhachev Draws a Hard Line
First things first, Makhachev has no intention of retracing his steps back to lightweight, even if it means shelving one of the UFC’s most talked-about superfights.
As speculation grows around a potential clash with unbeaten lightweight champion Topuria, the newly crowned welterweight king has drawn a clear line. Any encounter between the two, Makhachev insists, would have to take place at welterweight.
The timing never aligned during their title reigns. Both fighters vacated their championships in pursuit of greater challenges, but in opposite directions. Topuria made a brief final stop at featherweight, defending his belt against Max Holloway before decimating Charles Oliveira for the lightweight crown.
The Dagestani, meanwhile, completed his own ascent by dismantling Jack Della Maddalena to capture the welterweight title last November.
Despite Topuria’s interest in testing himself against the pound-for-pound standout, Makhachev sees little reason to revisit a division he believes he already mastered. From his standpoint, lightweight is settled business.
However, Merab Dvalishvili’s latest remarks have added a new layer of intrigue. Speaking in an exclusive interview with MMA Pros Pick, the Georgian standout offered a striking comparison, saying he has never experienced power or technical precision like Topuria’s, despite having sparred with opponents two, and even three, weight classes above him –
“I’ve never felt that kind of power or that level of technique from anyone else. I have sparred with fighters two weight classes above, even three weight classes above.”
Fresh off his title defeat at UFC 323, “The Machine” has been spending time in camp alongside Topuria, and what he’s felt firsthand has left a strong impression. He added,
“Whether it’s jiu-jitsu, wrestling, everything. That kind of uniqueness, the feeling I get with Ilia, I haven’t felt with anyone else. He has a very big chance against Islam Makhachev. I’ve become convinced of that once again now that I’ve returned from Spain. He has a really big chance. I would even give a higher percentage to Ilia, even if the fight takes place at welterweight”
From the P4P king’s perspective, the math isn’t that complicated. Dropping back down to lightweight doesn’t gain him anything, while staying at welterweight opens the door to new tests and bigger legacy fights. And in his eyes, a bout with a newly crowned 155-pound champion feels rushed, particularly one who hasn’t yet defended the belt.
The Russian sees the choice as Topuria’s to make. In fact, moving up carries little risk for the Spaniard; even a loss wouldn’t strip him of his lightweight title. For Makhachev, however, the situation is different. Reversing course would mean stepping backward, not forward.
Meanwhile, lightweight remains stacked with contenders still waiting their turn, Arman Tsarukyan chief among them. That backlog only reinforces Makhachev’s belief that his business at 155 pounds is already settled.
The message, for now, is clear. Lightweight is in the rearview mirror. If a superfight ever happens, it will be because someone else steps into Makhachev’s world, and definitely not the other way around.
Do you agree with Merab Dvalishvili, that Topuria will defeat Makhachev? Let us know in the comments!
