UFC flyweight champion Merab Dvalishvili has shared his perspective on why a fight between Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria should happen.
According to Dvalishvili, during a press conference before UFC 311, Makhachev stated to him, “Merab, I respect you, but when you have a top contender, you have to fight him.” Dvalishvili agreed with this sentiment at the time. Now, Dvalishvili points out that Topuria is the clear top contender for Makhachev, yet Makhachev seems reluctant to accept the fight. Dvalishvili noted the apparent double standard, stating, “No one criticized Islam for this in the same way they criticized me for similar situations.”
