Dvalishvili vows to prove he's 'much better' than Yan in UFC 333 bantamweight trilogy

Merab Dvalishvili will attempt to reclaim the UFC bantamweight title against Petr Yan in a trilogy bout at UFC 333 on 24 October at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, ten months after losing the 135-pound championship to the Russian in their December 2025 rematch.

The Georgian fighter, known as “The Machine”, was bidding for a fourth consecutive title defence when Yan outpointed him in that second meeting. Both bouts were settled by unanimous decision — Dvalishvili dominated the first encounter in 2023, while Yan controlled the rematch to reclaim the belt.

Dvalishvili says he enters the third fight feeling physically sound and mentally reset. “I’m really hungry now this time,” he said in a pre-fight interview. “My body is fine, and I’m good… Even when I was busy, I never complained because I’m a fighter and even if something bothers me, I’m gonna show up and I’m gonna fight.”

The former champion is confident the trilogy will tell a different story. “We are fighting three times,” Dvalishvili said. “First fight, it was one-sided. I win. Second fight, it was one-sided but not very for me… This time I believe I’m gonna win this fight because I believe I’m much better than him and I have to prove it. I’ve been working hard. I’ve been working smart and all I have to do is just show up and do my thing.”

The rivalry has produced two closely contested but ultimately decisive scorecards, and a third straight unanimous decision would settle the series with a definitive winner. Dvalishvili’s record of four title defences across 2025 underlines the level he reached before the loss, and his framing of the rematch defeat as a correctable performance — rather than a sign of a wider gap — sets the tone for what he expects to be his most complete showing yet.

UFC 333 takes place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on 24 October.