Merab Dvalishvili Gets Honest About UFC 323 Fight Against Petr Yan, Outlines Plans for UFC 333

Merab Dvalishvili looked like a compromised version of himself during his UFC 323 fight against Petr Yan. After losing his bantamweight title in the encounter, the Georgian has now figured out the mistakes that led to the debacle.

Recently, 'The Machine' revealed one of them and expressed confidence that the outcome of their trilogy fight at UFC 323 would be different.

Merab Dvalishvili Reveals Major Reason Behind UFC 323 loss with Confession

Dvalishvili's loss to Yan at UFC 323 shocked many, given the result of their first encounter, where the former dominated the latter to win via unanimous decision. The Georgian recently talked to sports reporter Helen Yee, revealing that he made several mistakes that led to his defeat in the second fight.

Dvalishvili listed his lack of winning drive as one of the primary reasons behind his defeat against Yan in their sophomore encounter.

He said, "When I beat him the first time, I was so hungry, I wanted to win so bad. And then, the last time, you know, things go the wrong way..."

While several fighters have tried to justify their losses with excuses, Davlishvili made an honest confession about his defeat, saying, "And yeah, Petr beat the s*it out of me."

Merab Dvalishvili speaks about his loss to Petr Yan last December ahead of their trilogy in a few months, saying Yan had his way with him that night and that he’ll try not to let it happen again.

“The last time, Petr Yan beat the s**t out of me, so this time I’ll make sure it’s… pic.twitter.com/HKKHHHuvch

— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) August 22, 2026

'The Machine's' words during the interview also hinted that he moved on from that loss. With their trilogy on the cards at UFC 333, Dvalishvili outlined his plans, saying, "Now, I know what mistakes I made, and I'm gonna go there and enjoy and try to beat him and make it 2 and 1."

But while Dvalishvili confidently said that he wouldn't allow Yan to dominate him in their trilogy, one of his former opponents feels the other way.

Umar Nurmagomedov Votes Against Merab Dvalishvili for UFC 333 With Inference

Umar Nurmagomedov certainly knows a thing or two about Dvalishvili's in-cage prowess from his loss against the Georgian at UFC 311. While Dvalishvili sounded confident about returning to the winning column after his UFC 333 encounter, Nurmagomedov opined that the results of the Yan vs. Dvalishvili trilogy would be no different from their second encounter.

In a recent interview with Red Corner MMA, 'Young Eagle' said, "My bet is Petr will get it done again." 

Nurmagomedov also disclosed the primary factor behind his inference, mentioning how Yan's right shoulder was injured during the first Dvalishvili fight. The Dagestani highlighted that the injury prevented the reigning bantamweight champion from throwing strikes with his right hand, which led to his defeat.

However, the tables turned drastically as a fully healthy Yan took to the octagon at UFC 323 in the rematch. Nurmagomedov expressed that their UFC 333 encounter will also end similarly, given that Yan is expected to walk into the octagon without any injuries.

He said, "In the second fight, he could use both of his hands, and it was a completely different story. I can see that if they both are healthy in their next fight."

Umar Nurmagomedov believes Petr Yan will once again have the answer for Merab Dvalishvili when they meet for the third time, highlighting the difference a healthy Yan made in their second fight.

“Based on their skill sets, Petr has good boxing, Merab has wrestling, but he can’t… pic.twitter.com/rrEGBdRU2I

— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) August 22, 2026

With UFC 333 scheduled for Oct. 24, there's still some time before we can find out whether Nurmagomedov's prediction comes to life, or if Dvalishvili proves him wrong. Fans can enjoy the war of narratives and opinions till then.