The Georgian champions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Merab Dvalishvili and Ilia Topuria, will receive a monetary reward of one million GEL. This information was announced by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze through a statement released by the government administration.
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"Today, two of the eight active UFC champions are Georgians, which truly represents the fighting spirit of our nation. This achievement, alongside Georgia's population of four million, is especially significant when compared to Brazil's 200 million. It is a matter of pride for every Georgian. Ilia Topuria and Merab Dvalishvili have demonstrated the fighting character of the Georgian people, honed over 3000 years, reminding us that when we fight with dignity, no one can defeat us," said Irakli Kobakhidze.
As he said, sports success and victories achieved for the country deserve proper recognition.
"Therefore, we have decided to award Merab Dvalishvili and Ilia Topuria, who brought the first UFC championship title to Georgia, a monetary reward of one million GEL each. We wish Merab Dvalishvili and Ilia Topuria many more victories. We also wish Ilia Topuria success in defending his UFC title on October 26. The 26th is our day, and we believe that Ilia will bring us another victory on that date," the Prime Minister of Georgia stated.
On September 15, 33-year-old Merab Dvalishvili defeated American Sean O'Malley to become the UFC super lightweight champion. Earlier, in February, 27-year-old Ilia Topuria won the title of lightweight champion.
