Petr Yan Tells Mehrab Dvalishvili To Get His Nose Insured
Petr Yan did not hold back with the sarcasm towards Merab Dvalishvili during the pre-fight press conference, asking the latter if he has his nose insured.
Petr Yan will face Merab Dvalishvili in the co-main event for UFC 333, and their pre-fight banter is already making headlines.
Petr Yan Tells Merab Dvalishvili Not to Blame Dana White for Broken Nose
The reigning bantamweight champion Yan will face former titleholder Dvalishvili in a title trilogy bout on Oct. 24 This fight is scheduled to take place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
The rivalry between the two bantamweights dates back to 2023, when Dvalishvili defeated Yan by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 221. However, that fight did get somewhat personal due to Yan’s previous comments regarding Dvalishvili’s close friend and teammate, Aljamain Sterling. Yan then bounced back at UFC 323, handing Dvalishvili a decisive defeat and securing the title belt.
“No Mercy” had his fun during the Pre-fight Press conference before their third fight, going back and forth with Dvalishvili.
“Make sure you get insurance, brother, medical insurance for your nose,”Dvalishvili continued, “Don't be blaming Dana White if something goes wrong."
Merab was quick with his response saying, “Don’t worry, Dana White taking care of me last time, and he will taking care of you this time”
Petr Yan tells Merab to get nose insurance before their fight 💀
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) September 18, 2026
"Make sure you get insurance, medical insurance for your nose. Don't be blaming Dana White if something goes wrong." #UFC333 https://t.co/d3rzwFxuII pic.twitter.com/WwRWpzGKqw
The condescending tone behind Yan’s subtle warning of “You have to be responsible for your own health” definitely added fuel to the already burning rivalry between them. However, Dvalishvili’s response to all of it was calm and collected, but with conviction.
Merab Dvalishvili Confident About Humbling Petr Yan
The Yan-Dvalishvili banter in the pre-fight press conference was full of mocking and taking jabs at each other, especially from Yan’s end. On the other hand, Dvalishvili had a calm demeanour and calculated responses.
Dvalishvili has stated that the Russian “beat the sh*t out of me” during their last fight. He has even gone further to accept that “Yes, he make me humble" to Yan’s remark about humbling him. While these are true, he is also positive about giving him the same treatment in the upcoming fight.
“He's cocky again; he tried to bully me. I'm gonna make him humble, like I made him first time," he mentioned, remembering his first bout with Petr Yan. “The Machine” demolished Yan, securing five takedowns in the final frame alone and winning by unanimous decision.
Merab says he's going to humble "cocky" Petr Yan 😳
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) September 19, 2026
"He's cocky again, he tried to bully me. I'm gonna make him humble, like I made him first time." #UFC333 https://t.co/d3rzwFwWTa pic.twitter.com/r4wNWJDApQ
With rivalry this old and banter this sardonic, it goes without saying that the bout will definitely be worth watching.
