Yan welcomes Dvalishvili's pressure ahead of UFC 333 bantamweight trilogy

Petr Yan is embracing rather than fearing the pressure Merab Dvalishvili will bring to their UFC bantamweight title trilogy bout at UFC 333, scheduled for October 24 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

The champion (20-5) and his challenger (21-5) have already shared the Octagon for 10 rounds across two fights, giving Yan a detailed understanding of what Dvalishvili brings. Rather than treating the Georgian’s relentless forward movement as a problem to solve, Yan frames it as a proving ground.

“I cannot really be annoyed with [Merab’s pressure] because it’s part of his game plan,” Yan said. “Every MMA fighter has their own game plan. This is his. To keep moving forward, to keep pressuring. But as we know, diamonds are made under pressure. So, we will find out who we really are when that pressure keeps coming at you and see if you are that diamond. Everybody knows how to swim, but not everybody is ready to go too far away from the shore.”

Their rivalry has already produced two contrasting results. Dvalishvili dominated their first meeting in 2023, setting a UFC record for takedown attempts on his way to a unanimous decision victory. Yan responded emphatically in the rematch last year, neutralising Dvalishvili’s wrestling to reclaim the bantamweight title.

With the series level at one apiece, the October 24 rubber match carries the full weight of the division. Yan has acknowledged Dvalishvili’s strengths but insists the rematch showed his own capacity to adapt, and he is eager to prove that improvement is ongoing heading into the third and decisive encounter.