Merab Dvalishvili blames eye pokes for Topuria loss to Gaethje

Merab Dvalishvili has come to the defense of fellow Georgian Ilia Topuria, claiming eye pokes played a decisive role in Topuria's title loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC White House.

According to MMA Fighting, Dvalishvili said Topuria was compromised from the opening round when a Gaethje punch caught him in the eye with an extended thumb. The former bantamweight champion believes the damage left Topuria unable to see clearly for the rest of the bout, which ended with Topuria suffering two broken orbitals and a broken nose.

Dvalishvili questions Gaethje tactics after similar incidents

"Unfortunately, Ilia was fighting blind since the first round," Dvalishvili told the outlet. "When you got eye poked or you broke this bone, you are blind pretty much. That affects the fight. That was the main thing. Ilia was fighting blind."

Footage circulating online appears to show Gaethje landing with his thumb during exchanges, and similar incidents occurred in Gaethje's previous fight against Paddy Pimblett. The pattern has led some observers to question whether the technique is deliberate.

Dvalishvili remains confident Topuria will return from the setback. The Machine told MMA Fighting he expects the featherweight to reclaim his belt once fully healed, saying Topuria is motivated and will come back stronger. Both Georgian fighters now face the task of rebuilding after losing their titles in 2025 and 2026 respectively.

Topuria is not expected to compete again in 2026 as he recovers from the facial injuries sustained at UFC White House.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — Merab Dvalishvili blames eye pokes for Ilia Topuria’s bone-crushing loss to Justin Gaethje: ‘Ilia was fighting blind’