Merab Dvalishvili Could Have Faced Arman Tsarukyan in Yerevan

UFC fighter and former bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili could have taken part in the Hype FC tournament in Yerevan, stepping in as a backup opponent for Arman Tsarukyan.

According to the Georgian athlete, organizers considered his candidacy when the bout between Arman Tsarukyan and Shara Bullet was at risk of falling through. With only a few days left before the event, Hype FC quickly contacted Dvalishvili, who agreed to participate.

“They called me and said that Arman Tsarukyan’s opponent had withdrawn. It seems he couldn’t travel or there were other issues. There were only three or five days left before the tournament. It was in Armenia, a grappling match. They asked me if I wanted to step in instead of Shara Bullet. I took it as a challenge. There was no chance Arman could beat me. Under the rules, you could only win by submission or choke. I thought about how he could finish me — that was impossible. I agreed, but the next day a wound on my nose opened up, so I had to withdraw. Still, I was ready to accept that gangster challenge,” Dvalishvili said on Georgian television.

In the end, Shara Bullet was able to compete, and the grappling match against Arman Tsarukyan went ahead. The Hype FC tournament took place on December 30 in Yerevan, and the main event of the evening — the grappling bout between Tsarukyan and Shara Bullet — ended in a draw.