UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili has called out lightweight champion Islam Makhachev for what he perceives as a double standard in the UFC’s title picture.
Speaking with Ariel Helwani in a recent interview, Dvalishvili pointed to Makhachev’s reluctance to face featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, who has expressed interest in moving up to challenge for the lightweight title.
“Islam told me at the press conference ‘Merab I respect you but when you have a top contender you should fight him’, and I said okay,” Dvalishvili recalled. “Now he has a top contender as Ilia Topuria but he’s not fighting him.”
Dvalishvili defeated Umar Nurmagomedov by decision after a 5 round contest.
Dvalishvili believes there’s a clear inconsistency in how fighters are treated.
“Nobody criticized Islam like they criticized me,” he noted, suggesting that Makhachev isn’t facing the same pressure to accept a challenge from a deserving contender.
The Georgian star argued that with Topuria potentially vacating his featherweight belt to move up to 155 pounds, the matchup makes perfect sense as Topuria would be “the best deserving contender for the 155 belt.”
As the UFC’s lightweight division continues to evolve, Dvalishvili’s comments highlight the ongoing debate about who deserves the next shot at Makhachev’s championship. For now, fans will have to wait and see if the organization makes the Makhachev-Topuria matchup that Dvalishvili and others are advocating for.
