TLDR
- Merab Dvalishvili blamed Georgio Poullas for starting the post-match brawl at RAF 6 with Arman Tsarukyan
- Dvalishvili said Poullas was overly aggressive during the wrestling match, pushing Tsarukyan’s face and slapping him
- Tsarukyan won the match on points but then tackled Poullas and threw punches, leading to a massive brawl
- Poullas received a point deduction during the match and required hospital treatment after the altercation
- Dvalishvili wants to see a rematch between the two in a fair wrestling match without the chaos
Sources: Bloody Elbow | BJPenn.com | MMA Fighting
Former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili placed blame on Georgio Poullas for the violent brawl that erupted after his wrestling match against Arman Tsarukyan at RAF 6 on Saturday night. Dvalishvili, who watched the event from the front row in Tempe, said Poullas was overly aggressive and started the chaos.
“I think Georgio started that; he was doing too much,” Dvalishvili said during a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show. “They took points from him, and I think if they were supposed to fight, they should’ve fought instead of the wrestling match, not after.”
The wrestling match between Tsarukyan and Poullas was chaotic from the start. Tsarukyan and officials repeatedly scolded Poullas for slapping and using unfair tactics during the eight-round competition.
Dvalishvili specifically criticized Poullas for pushing Tsarukyan’s face and being excessively aggressive. He noted that referees deducted a point from Poullas during the match for his behavior.
Brawl Erupts After Tsarukyan Victory
Tsarukyan won the match on points but immediately took out his frustration on Poullas after the final buzzer. He tackled Poullas to the ground and threw several punches at his opponent.
Members from both teams rushed onto the canvas, creating a massive brawl that required security and RAF officials to intervene. Poullas received extensive treatment at a local hospital following the altercation.
Tsarukyan later defended his actions, saying Poullas punched him about 20 times during the match and tried to poke his eyes. “I was waiting on wrestling [to be] done and that moment, I wanted to punch him right away,” Tsarukyan told The Ariel Helwani Show.
The UFC lightweight contender said Poullas’ game plan was to fight during the wrestling match rather than actually wrestle. He claimed natural wrestlers would never behave that way because it’s disrespectful.
Dvalishvili Calls for Rematch
Despite the chaos, Dvalishvili wants to see a rematch between the two competitors. He admitted the drama was entertaining but said fans deserve to see a fair match to determine a clear winner.
“I know you guys were slapping each other, it was fun to watch, but now I want to see the winner,” Dvalishvili told Poullas in a video posted to social media. “Because today we don’t really see the winner, it was chaos.”
Poullas expressed interest in a rematch and claimed he would have won if he hadn’t been penalized. Dvalishvili responded honestly, saying he doesn’t actually know the rules of wrestling.
“To be honest, I’m not a wrestler,” Dvalishvili said. “I don’t even know rules. Yeah, I wrestle in fights.”
Tsarukyan has no interest in a wrestling rematch with Poullas. He said if Poullas wants to fight again, they can meet on the street or the beach instead of on wrestling mats.
“I need one second to knock him out,” Tsarukyan said. “No interest [in a rematch] at all.”
The incident marks another controversial moment for Tsarukyan outside the UFC octagon. He headbutted Dan Hooker before their fight at UFC Qatar, which reportedly delayed his desired lightweight title shot.
Tsarukyan attended UFC 326 on Saturday and has not been disciplined by the UFC for the RAF 6 incident. He said he expects the promotion to support him since Poullas started the fight.
