Ilia Topuria reacts to Merab Dvalishvili’s UFC 323 loss against Petr Yan

Ilia Topuria has sent words of encouragement to Merab Dvalishvili following UFC 323.

Dvalishvili was chasing history on Saturday in Las Vegas. “The Machine” was attempting to set a new record for the most successful UFC title defenses in a single year. Petr Yan had other plans, as he avenged a 2023 loss against Dvalishvili via unanimous decision.

Topuria and Dvalishvili have developed a strong bond thanks to their Georgian roots. The reigning UFC Lightweight Champion took to Instagram Stories to react to Dvalishvili’s defeat.

“Brother, life is full of twists and turns, but to us you will always be the best,” Topuria wrote. “You will come back much stronger.”

Dvalishvili had three successful title defenses. He scored unanimous decision wins over Umar Nurmagomedov and Cory Sandhagen. Dvalishvili also submitted Sean O’Malley in their rematch. Despite the loss to Yan, many still view Dvalishvili as a strong candidate for “Fighter of the Year.”

As for Topuria, he is currently on hiatus as he deals with personal matters. An interim UFC Lightweight Champion will be crowned at UFC 324. Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje will collide for the gold on Jan. 24 in Las Vegas. They will headline UFC’s debut event on Paramount+.

When Topuria is ready to return to action, he’ll meet the winner of Pimblett vs. Gaethje in a title unification bout. There has been plenty of movement in the lightweight division. Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira are set to clash in a rematch on March 7. The BMF Championship will be at stake.

In other lightweight news, No. 6-ranked Dan Hooker is scheduled to take on No. 8-ranked Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 325 on Jan. 31. Also set for that card in Sydney will be No. 9-ranked Rafael Fiziev taking on No. 14-ranked Mauricio Ruffy.

Stick with BJPenn.com for continued updates on the UFC lightweight division.