Merab Dvalishvili eyes vengeance against Petr Yan at UFC 333: "Now we fight"
Merab Dvalishvili will have his bantamweight title rematch against Petr Yan at UFC 333, and he can't wait for his chance to reclaim the belt.
Merab Dvalishvili's wait is over. At UFC 333, he'll challenge Petr Yan for the bantamweight title in an immediate rematch of their previous UFC 323 encounter. It's a fight that 'The Machine' has been looking forward to since last year, and he seems more than dialed in based on his reaction to the bout announcement.
Merab Dvalishvili is ready to regain his throne
At UFC 323, Merab Dvalishvili's historic championship run in the bantamweight division came to a brutal end. Petr Yan, who he had beaten via unanimous decision back at UFC Fight Night 221, not only neutralized his wrestling and pace, but turned the tables by outwrestling him, while also battering him on the feet en route to a unanimous decision win. In the aftermath, Dvalishvili, as champions usually do, called for an immediate rematch. Now, he has it, with the UFC announcing the pair's trilogy bout for the co-main event of UFC 333.
One final chapter π€@MerabDvalishvil & @PetrYanUFC collide once again in the trilogy at #UFC333!
[ Tickets on sale MONDAY | @VisitAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi ] pic.twitter.com/OkJDmLLNGk
Dvalishvili will be determined to reclaim the title and begin his second championship reign in the division, and continue building his legacy as one of the greatest-ever bantamweights. If his reaction to the fight announcement on X serves as any indication, he's about as eager as he could be to avenge his loss to Yan.
"My fight is officially booked. I've waited so long for this. Now we fight."
At 35 years old, and with the damage he took in his last fight with Yan, waiting any longer wouldn't have served him well. Now, both men will hope to enter the bout injury-free, as Yan previously blamed his past loss to Dvalishvili on a broken hand.
My fight is officially booked.
β Merab βThe Machineβ Dvalishvili (@MerabDvalishvil) August 16, 2026
Iβve waited so long for this. Now we fight. αα€ααͺαααα£α αα αααααα¨αα α©ααα αα α«ααα.π¦Ύπ¬πͺβοΈ pic.twitter.com/Hxj0QkYlCB
Although Dvalishvili hasn't fought since UFC 323, he hasn't been inactive this year. On May 30, he took on former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar in a freestyle wrestling match at RAF 09, winning via technical fall. He then returned at RAF Georgia on July 11, defeating ex-rival and former UFC two-division champion Henry Cejudo in an 11-8 comeback, and he will hope to continue his unbeaten run in 2026 by emerging victorious at UFC 333.
