A touch under five months later, Dvalishvili squared off with former champ “Suga” Sean O’Malley, upping the ante from their first meeting, where the incumbent first wrestled the title away from the flamboyant champion. Utilizing the same wrestling-heavy approach as always, Dvalishvili showed a new wrinkle to his game by attacking a submission in the waning stages of the third round, catching O’Malley in a modified D’Arce choke and forcing him to tap.
2 – Ilia Topuria
After a phenomenal year in 2024 where he claimed and successfully defended the featherweight title by stopping two legendary champions, Topuria kicked off his 2025 campaign by adding another title and another devastating stoppage to his highlight reel.
HALF-YEAR AWARDS: Newcomers | Submissions | Knockouts | Fights
Just last weekend, the 28-year-old ventured into the Octagon opposite Charles Oliveira in the main event of UFC 317, the two men battling for the vacant lightweight title. Throughout the build up to the contest, Topuria was apologetic to the Brazilian standout that he had to be the one standing between him and a second UFC title, forecasting a first-round knockout win to achieve “Double Champ” status.
