Petr Yan reveals MAJOR reason why he and Merab Dvalishvili won't be friends even after UFC 333 trilogy fight
Petr Yan has opened up about why he and Merab Dvalishvili are unlikely to be friends even after their third UFC encounter.
Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili have long been at loggerheads over their respective pursuits of UFC bantamweight glory. Additionally, their rivalry has featured more than a few barbs that many deemed rather personal.
Yan has now asserted that he and archrival Dvalishvili are unlikely to ever be friends, even though their MMA series is likely approaching its end as they head into their UFC trilogy fight.
Merab Dvalishvili's win, Petr Yan's revenge, and their third clash at UFC 333
Merab Dvalishvili emerged victorious in his first meeting with Petr Yan back in 2023. It was a non-title bantamweight clash, which witnessed "The Machine" utilize his wrestling and pace to beat Yan by way of unanimous decision.
Their rematch saw Yan successfully employ his technical striking skills to outwork Dvalishvili and dethrone him to become the new UFC bantamweight champion in their title clash last December.
Currently, Yan is scheduled to put his 135-pound title at stake against Dvalishvili in their rubber match, which will co-headline UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi on October 24.
Petr Yan explains why he and Merab Dvalishvili won't be friends even after UFC 333
During a conversation with UFC fighter-turned-commentator Daniel Cormier, Petr Yan opened up about his rivalry against Merab Dvalishvili. Upon being asked whether he and Dvalishvili could be friends after their upcoming fight, Yan stated, "No."
Cormier then indicated that Yan and Dvalishvili would share respect as competitors but wouldn't befriend one another. Yan weighed in by suggesting that "DC" has a famous feud of his own against fellow former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
Well, Cormier referenced Jones's failed PED tests, insinuating that it was one of the reasons he never became friends with him. The wrestling savant implied, however, that he has professionally filmed content on various shows with Jones despite their bitter rivalry.
Yan chimed in and hinted that he has a similar feud with Dvalishvili, albeit not due to any PED test failure but because the Georgian-American used the Georgia-Russia geopolitical tensions in their verbal back-and-forth.
The Russian combatant said, "You hear him (Merab Dvalishvili) talking too much -- about politics, country... He tried to make it not about sports. He tried to make it about politics."
Moreover, "No Mercy" seemingly underscored that he's a simple sportsperson who'd prefer not to get involved in politics, international disputes, and matters of that ilk.
Watch Petr Yan discuss his feud against Merab Dvalishvili and more below (*comments at the 12:10-minute mark of the video):
