Dvalishvili waits on Yan trilogy as bantamweight title fight remains without a date

Merab Dvalishvili has no timeline for his UFC bantamweight title rematch against Petr Yan, with the former champion admitting he is still waiting on the Georgian-based Russian to confirm his return to competition.

Dvalishvili lost his title to Yan by decision this past December, a result that levelled their series at one win apiece after Dvalishvili had earned a lopsided decision over Yan in their first meeting. Yan subsequently required back surgery, which delayed any immediate plans for a third fight, but with the UFC calendar continuing to fill up through the summer months, no date has been announced.

“I don’t hear anything from him,” Dvalishvili said of Yan. “He don’t want to fight yet. I don’t know what is the situation. We all see his interview, he was ready in June for the White House but they have already announced the July fight card. They’re going to announce the August fight card soon. They haven’t told me anything. All I know is I’m fighting Yan but I don’t know when. It looks like Petr is taking his time.”

Dvalishvili, who built a reputation as one of the most active UFC champions in recent memory, acknowledges that his leverage is reduced now that he is the challenger rather than the titleholder.

“When I was champion, I can push the UFC, I can tell them ‘hey, UFC keep me busy, I want to fight soon’ and the UFC keeps me busy,” he said. “Now I’m not a champion and I have to wait for my opponent. This is the game. This is the situation and I understand.”

Rather than sit idle, Dvalishvili has turned to wrestling to stay sharp, signing with RAF ahead of his debut at RAF 9 on Saturday. The card was originally set to feature a match against former Olympic gold medallist and UFC Hall of Famer Henry Cejudo, but Cejudo withdrew at the last minute. Dvalishvili will now face fellow UFC Hall of Famer Frankie Edgar instead.

Despite the frustration of an uncertain schedule, Dvalishvili says he remains committed to waiting out the situation rather than taking an alternative fight that could jeopardise his guaranteed title shot.

“Hey, this is the game we’re in,” he said. “Sometimes you have to wait. But now unfortunately I have to wait for him.”