"Don't let Khabib see this" - Fans react as footage of Ilia Topuria dominating Merab Dvalishvili in a grappling session surfaces

A behind-the-scenes clip from the UFC Performance Institute showed Ilia Topuria seemingly controlling bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili in a grappling exchange.

Topuria has been in the news since he moved to the lightweight division, with many expecting a fast-track title shot for the Georgian-Spaniard. However, the reigning 155-pound champion, Islam Makhachev apparently feels that Topuria must prove his mettle in the division before challenging him for the title.

Check out the video of Ilia Topuria and Merab Dvalishvili grappling below:

Fans didn’t take long to react to the video, with some jokingly ufc-veteran-explains-islam-makhachev-vs-ilia-topuria-happen-next" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">warning Khabib Nurmagomedov not to watch. They wrote:

"Islam is in trouble."

"Merab was helping Ilia before the Max fight. Merab is not going to try to beat Ilia in his own training camp."

"A bunch of people in these comments that have never touched a wrestling mat in their life. Topuria can beat Islam. Islam isn’t the greatest wrestler in the world."

"Don't let Khabib see this."

"Dude's a monster."

Check out some of the fan reactions below:

Fans react to the footage of Ilia Topuria and Merab Dvalishvili grappling. [Screenshots courtesy: @redcorner.mma on Instagram]

Topuria is widely regarded as one of the best strikers on the UFC roster today. 'La Leyenda' has picked up eight straight wins since making his UFC debut in October 2020, with five knockout wins.

He had an impressive 2024 campaign, knocking out featherweight legends Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway to win and defend the 145-pound title, respectively.

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Henry Cejudo claims Khabib Nurmagomedov might be blocking Ilia Topuria's chances of immediate title shot

Ilia Topuria wants a title shot in his lightweight debut, but the UFC might lean elsewhere. Islam Makhachev's team has reportedly declined a fight against Topuria, claiming that he needs to earn his title shot first.

Henry Cejudo weighed in on the situation, claiming that Khabib Nurmagomedov might be the one blocking Topuriza's chances at a lightweight title shot. During an interview with MMA Junkie, Cejudo said:

“I remember talking to Khabib. He gave [Alexander] Volkanovski a couple title [shots] where he has gone up. So I don’t even think it’s going to be Islam’s choice. I think Khabib is going to step in and be like, ‘He needs to fight the No. 1 contender.' Khabib said if Ilia does beat a No. 1 contender, then sure, we’ll do that. So I personally think that Islam will fight anybody, anytime, anywhere.” [H/t: MMA Fighting]