Merab Pinpoints Key Mistake in Petr Yan Rematch

Merab Dvalishvili knows exactly what went wrong in his second encounter with Petr Yan.

The long-standing rivals are set to clash for a third time in a highly anticipated co-main event at UFC 333, scheduled for October 24th in Abu Dhabi. Their initial bout in 2023 saw Dvalishvili dominate, repeatedly taking Yan down en route to a unanimous decision victory. However, in their rematch at UFC 323, Yan delivered a masterful performance, ending Dvalishvili's reign in the bantamweight division and becoming a two-time champion.

With another 25 minutes in the octagon against Yan looming, Dvalishvili told sports journalist Jose Youngs that he plans to return to his fundamental strengths.

"I think in the second fight, I played by his rules," Dvalishvili commented. "I stood in front of him, and we exchanged boxing punches, but this time, I'm just going to be myself. I think I'll be much sharper, and I know I can beat this guy. He hits hard, he's good, he's proven it, so it's going to be a great fight. I'm excited."

Prior to his loss to Yan, Dvalishvili was on a streak of three consecutive title defenses. Yan was the one who prevented him from setting a UFC record with four successful defenses within a single calendar year. Both fighters had been pushing for a third fight even before its official announcement, but Yan's return was delayed due to back surgery.

While the top two fighters in the division were on hold, significant movement occurred throughout the rest of the top 10. Song Yadong secured a knockout victory over former title contender Umar Nurmagomedov, and Mario Bautista surpassed Cory Sandhagen in the rankings. Dvalishvili is thrilled about what all this means for him once he's done with Yan.

"The division keeps evolving," Dvalishvili stated. "I like that. There are many good fighters like Raul Rosas. I'm friends with him; he's great and very strong. This division has a lot of young, tough fighters."

"Now we have a new contender, Song Yadong. I won't say he gives me chills, but he excites me because he hits hard. He really hits like a truck, and I want to test that."

Despite his full focus on Yan, Dvalishvili also finds time to support his close friend Aljamain Sterling. The former bantamweight champion is currently eyeing a title shot in the featherweight division. Sterling holds a 3-1 record at featherweight and has targeted fan-favorite Jean Silva for a bout that could determine the next challenger for the winner of the UFC 333 main event between champion Alexander Volkanovski and the undefeated Movsar Evloev.

"That's the fight that needs to happen, in my opinion," Dvalishvili declared. "With all due respect to Jean Silva, Aljo is here, and I think the winner should fight Volkanovski or Movsar... You can't skip Aljo."