Yan is scheduled to defend his Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight title against Dvalishvili at UFC 333 on Oct. 24 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Their series is tied 1-1, but Yan expects to replicate his commanding performance in their rematch.
Petr Yan expects another dominant showing against Merab Dvalishvili in UFC 333 title trilogy
Dvalishvili overwhelmed Yan with his wrestling to win their first meeting by unanimous decision in 2023. Yan reversed the result in their December 2025 title rematch, repeatedly defending takedowns and landing effective strikes to reclaim the championship by unanimous decision.
“No Mercy” expects another strong showing in their rubber match.
“We definitely have enough information downloaded from the time we spent together in the Octagon,” Yan said in a pre-fight interview. “But the second victory, obviously, was very dominant. I’ve figured him out and I’m gonna do whatever I can to this time bring the same type of victory and even open new layers which we haven’t seen yet.”
"These are two greats in this division." Champion Petr Yan (@PetrYanUFC) is fully confident heading into this third bout against Merab Dvalishvili and believes he still has more to show. @VisitAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi | @ParamountPlus https://t.co/he3RmXsXpp— UFC News (@UFCNews) October 21, 2026