UFC Fans Went Bonkers After Learning Merab Dvalishvili Refused Nose Surgery Before the Petr Yan Rematch

Undoubtedly, Merab Dvalishvili is one of the most active fighters right now, having fought four times as champion last year. Meanwhile, a before-and-after picture of Merab Dvalishvili's nose across his five title fights is going viral, and it shows just how much damage the years have done. His nose has bent noticeably.

The problems go deeper than looks. Dvalishvili has a nose broken in two places and serious trouble breathing through one nostril. Doctors recommended surgery, and he refused. He broke it again in sparring in April, and the surgeon told him full recovery would take a year. Dvalishvili didn't want to wait that long.

It also adds some context to the Petr Yan loss. If you rewatch the first fight, it wasn't as dominant or one-sided as many made it look. Dvalishvili had his moments in every round and pushed Yan to his limits. Whether the loss shook his confidence or turned into a lesson he can learn from, fans will find out this weekend at UFC 333. Meanwhile, fans went wild after hearing the reports.

UFC Fans Go Crazy After Learning Merab Dvalishvili Fought Petr Yan With a Seriously Damaged Nose

“Yan will crack that nose open again,” one fan said.

“He chose to fight than fixing,” one fan commented.

“He needs surgery that's crazy." One fan can’t believe that the former UFC champion needed surgery, but he is fighting this weekend.

“Ngl, I’m scared for my goat. When Petr Yan throws his lead jab, Merab’s nose is going to instantly break. And even if Merab does well, the damage to Merab’s face will 100% away the judges in Yans favour,” a fan wrote.

“A broken nose is one thing but refusing the surgery is wild,” another fan said.

On the other hand, a fan hilariously stated, “What will be fun is when he retires and fixes it. He'll be a handsome bastard.”

Merab Dvalishvili Reveals How His Corner’s Advice Confused Him Against Petr Yan

Earlier, talking about a rematch, Dvalishvili said his team told him to punch Yan in the body during the fight. But they had never practised this in training. This confused Merab because he was being told to do something he wasn’t ready for. He said this was one reason he struggled and ended up fighting the way Yan wanted, instead of sticking to his own plan.

“In my last fight, my corner was telling me something completely different. They were telling me to attack the body, but we hadn’t worked on that at all. That confused me even more,” Dvalishvili stated.

Dvalishvili and Yan have won one fight each against each other. Now, their third fight will decide who is better.