Ilia Topuria Backs Merab Dvalishvili in a Heartwarming Post Ahead of UFC 316 Rematch Against Sean O’Malley

“I believe Ilia Topuria will be champion tonight, even if it means beating my favorite fighter, Alex Volkanovski,” Merab Dvalishvili told Joe Rogan and the crowd at UFC 298 in Anaheim after defeating Henry Cejudo. Sure enough, Ilia Topuria went on to defeat Volkanovski and claim the featherweight title. ‘El Matador’ became the first Georgian-Spaniard UFC champion. Later, ‘The Machine’ followed suit, capturing the bantamweight belt at UFC 306 with a win over Sean O’Malley.

Topuria and Merab have consistently shown admiration and respect for one another. Time and again, they’ve had each other’s backs whenever a championship opportunity came along. And now, when the reigning bantamweight champ is getting ready to defend his belt once again at UFC 316 headliner against Sean O’Malley, ‘El Matador’ shared a powerful message.

Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley have wrapped up their face-off, and the clip has been making waves across social media. Ilia Topuria took notice and dropped a supportive comment on X, writing, “The victory belongs to you, brother.” The message quickly caught the eye of the man it was meant for, who replied with, “My brother,” followed by a heart and fist emoji.

The victory belongs to you, brother. https://t.co/Bdhj7tkFvO

— Ilia Topuria (@Topuriailia) June 7, 2025

That moment added yet another chapter to the growing bond between the two. With Ilia Topuria set to headline the upcoming International Fight Week event against Charles Oliveira, his public show of support for his fellow countryman speaks volumes. That kind of brotherly connection, especially ahead of two massive fights, can only strengthen their spirits as they both prepare for war inside the Octagon.

The post Ilia Topuria Backs Merab Dvalishvili in a Heartwarming Post Ahead of UFC 316 Rematch Against Sean O’Malley appeared first on EssentiallySports.