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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Former UFC champion Merab Dvalishvili has said that Ilia Topuria was fighting blind after the early stages of his fight against Justin Gaethje.

As we know, Ilia Topuria lost the UFC lightweight championship at UFC Freedom 250 when he was defeated by Justin Gaethje. It was a hard-fought affair and Ilia certainly had his moments, but ultimately, it wasn’t enough, and ‘The Highlight’ finally managed to win the big one after years of trying – and a few failed attempts against Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira.

Ilia Topuria is a warrior in his own right and we all know that to be true, but it’s not insane to ask questions about what kind of response he will have after a beating like the one he took. The first professional loss for any mixed martial artist can really make you reevaluate your career, so it will be interesting to see what kind of changes he looks to implement.

In a recent interview, Merab Dvalishvili weighed in on Ilia Topuria’s loss.

Merab Dvalishvili discusses Ilia Topuria’s loss to Justin Gaethje

“My brother Ilia, unfortunately, he lost but he showed a great fight,” Dvalishvili told MMA Fighting. “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.”

Quotes via MMA Fighting

Regardless of what may have been happening with Ilia’s vision, there’s no denying that Gaethje put on an incredible performance to secure the win. At the same time, Topuria will almost certainly be back in a world championship fight sooner rather than later, and we can’t wait to see how it plays out.

LowKickMMA.com

Interesting
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UFC

Magomed Zaynukov is booked to make his much-anticipated UFC debut.
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Ian Machado Garry won’t be seeking an early finish against reigning UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev.

The Irishman is going to lock horns with Makhachev on August 15 in the main event of UFC 330. Garry recently joined Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Talent Agency, and earlier today, during the signing presser at Vicar Street, Dublin, the next 170-pound UFC title challenger spoke about his upcoming fight.

Ian Machado Garry breaks down upcoming UFC 330 title clash with Islam Makhachev

Ian Machado Garry, the short-notice risk-taker, renowned for breaking his opponents, having endless cardio, and always fighting the smart fight, appears to have a similar game plan against the P4P king.

Garry, while breaking down how he wants to dismantle Makhachev, made it clear that it won’t be an early knockout or a submission. Instead, he plans on going for 15 minutes and then look for the final kill in the fourth stanza. He wants to purely dominate and show the world why Irish MMA is the best. “The Future” said:

“My ideal scenario. I want a fourth-round finish. I don’t want any early knockout. Because then there are ifs, buts, and maybes. Ah, there are excuses. I want four rounds of domination. And in that fourth round, I am going to tell everybody, ‘I am going to do it now.’ And then I’m going to go and finish him. I’m going to open the door. I’m going to walk him into my traps and take his head clean off his shoulders.”

Check out Ian Machado Garry’s comments below:

During the same presser, talking about his big plans and why he’s the next big superstar in Irish MMA, “The Future” added:

“With my next fight, I am the most victorious Irishman in UFC history. I will have 11 wins. I want to [bring the UFC back to Ireland as fans here deserve it]. I am the next superstar of Irish MMA. I am going to be carrying the second wave.”

Check out Ian Machado Garry’s comments below:

LowKickMMA.com

Do you agree?
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UFC

While Sean Strickland and Anthony Hernandez had no beef to begin with, they have developed a good relationship after sharing the Octagon.
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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts