Andrew Ravens
Merab Dvalishvili believes Ilia Topuria‘s loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 at the White House on June 14 cannot be viewed in isolation from a significant visual impairment that Dvalishvili says affected Topuria from the first round. Speaking to MMA Fighting, Topuria’s longtime friend and training partner said what he witnessed was a fighter doing remarkable things under deeply compromised conditions rather than simply a man who got beaten.
Topuria suffered the first loss of his career when his corner stopped the fight after the fourth round, with both of his eyes nearly swollen shut and Gaethje landing a brutal body shot just before the round ended that made continuing untenable. Topuria made no excuses afterward and vowed to come back and reclaim the lightweight title. Dvalishvili, however, wanted the full picture told.
“My brother Ilia, unfortunately, he lost but he showed a great fight,” Dvalishvili said. “Fight was really tough. Unfortunately, Ilia was fighting blind since the first round. I think one moment Justin Gaethje threw a punch like this with his thumb extended, I think he eye poked him. It was even worse and then Ilia was blind in both eyes. He wanted to keep fighting. He almost finished Justin Gaethje from the body shot. He even dropped him. If Ilia continued throwing hammerfists or throwing punches, he would finish him. But Ilia chased the submission and then Justin Gaethje somehow survived. It was a tough fight but I’m proud of my brother Ilia. He showed a great, great fight.”
Dvalishvili elaborated on the physiological reality of competing with eye damage at that level, explaining why the impairment would have fundamentally altered Topuria’s ability to fight at his normal standard.
“When you got eye poked or you broke this orbital bone, you are blind pretty much,” he said. “That affects the fight. That was the main thing. Ilia was fighting blind. That’s what Ilia said. I have very big confidence, Ilia is not only going to come back, he will come back even stronger. He will come so motivated. He’s special. When I say special, we all know he’s special. He’s proved it many times. That wasn’t his night. Like I said, it was a couple of things. He got eye poked and he got a broken bone in his nose, I believe. Then that affects his fight. Now, he will come back and he will win his belt back and he will continue his winning streak again.”
Dvalishvili attended the White House card as a special guest and described the overall experience as remarkable, but Topuria’s loss cast a shadow over the night for him personally. The aftermath has been equally difficult.
“It was really heartbreaking,” he said. “Since that, I was very stressed. I’ve been checking online all day, comments, it keeps going, especially in my country. It’s been very stressful. After the fight, it’s been very stressful. I haven’t really slept good. I’ve been checking online, so much talk, so much nonsense talking and people have so many crazy opinions. It’s been hard. I feel bad for Ilia but I know he will come back very strong.”
Gaethje has since shut down the idea of an immediate rematch and stated he is expecting to compete again after briefly considering retirement. Arman Tsarukyan is widely regarded as the top contender for the first crack at his title. Dvalishvili is holding out hope that a Topuria rematch happens eventually, and expressed confidence that the outcome would be different under normal circumstances.
“I believe if they fight again, Ilia will win all the times, but it was Justin Gaethje’s moment that day,” he said. “Hopefully Justin Gaethje is not going to retire. He will give Ilia a rematch and in rematch, I believe Ilia can win. But they are both tough fighters and Justin Gaethje, he can hit really hard. He either knocks people out or gets knocked out. That’s the type of fighter he is. Much respect for him.”
