Merab Dvalishvili says he's 'much better' than Petr Yan despite loss
· Yahoo Sports
Merab
Dvalishvili is eager to reclaim the
Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight title.
The former champion will challenge Petr Yan in a trilogy bout at UFC 333 on Oct. 24 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. He’s looking to avenge his December 2025 loss to the Russian and recapture the 135-pound championship.
Dvalishvili was attempting his fourth successful title defense of 2025 when he lost his rematch with Yan. “The Machine” says he feels healthy and refreshed ahead of their third meeting.
“I’m really hungry now this time,” Dvalishvili said in a prefight interview. “My body is fine, and I’m good… Even when I was busy, I never complained because I’m a fighter and even if something bothers me, I’m gonna show up and I’m gonna fight.”
Both previous meetings ended in unanimous decisions, with Dvalishvili dominating their first encounter in 2023 and Yan winning the rematch last year. Dvalishvili says he’s been “working smart” to deliver his best at UFC 333.
“We are fighting three times,” Dvalishvili added. “First fight, it was one-sided. I win. Second fight, it was one-sided but not very for me… This time I believe I'm gonna win this fight because I believe I'm much better than him and I have to prove it. I've been working hard. I've been working smart and all I have to do is just show up and do my thing.”
The former champion will challenge Petr Yan in a trilogy bout at UFC 333 on Oct. 24 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. He’s looking to avenge his December 2025 loss to the Russian and recapture the 135-pound championship.
Merab Dvalishvili aims to reclaim UFC bantamweight title in Petr Yan trilogy at UFC 333
Dvalishvili was attempting his fourth successful title defense of 2025 when he lost his rematch with Yan. “The Machine” says he feels healthy and refreshed ahead of their third meeting.
“I’m really hungry now this time,” Dvalishvili said in a prefight interview. “My body is fine, and I’m good… Even when I was busy, I never complained because I’m a fighter and even if something bothers me, I’m gonna show up and I’m gonna fight.”
Both previous meetings ended in unanimous decisions, with Dvalishvili dominating their first encounter in 2023 and Yan winning the rematch last year. Dvalishvili says he’s been “working smart” to deliver his best at UFC 333.
“We are fighting three times,” Dvalishvili added. “First fight, it was one-sided. I win. Second fight, it was one-sided but not very for me… This time I believe I'm gonna win this fight because I believe I'm much better than him and I have to prove it. I've been working hard. I've been working smart and all I have to do is just show up and do my thing.”
"I am better than him and I have to prove it." After 10 months away, Merab Dvalishvili (@MerabDvalishvil) is eager to reclaim the bantamweight throne in his third meeting with Petr Yan @VisitAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi | @ParamountPlus https://t.co/OCVjhMYPNh— UFC News (@UFCNews) October 21, 2026
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