OMM Newsroom
Georgian MMA fighter Merab Dvalishvili has spoken about his upcoming fight with UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan. Their bout will take place on October 24 at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi.
In an interview with MMA Junkie, Dvalishvili said their first two fights had been one-sided and stressed the importance of determining who is better. He called Yan his most dangerous opponent and said he was looking forward to fighting the champion.
“There’s one thing I can say for certain: I’m very confident and calm about winning this fight,” Dvalishvili said.
The Georgian fighter said he considers Yan a good athlete and respects him, although he does not personally like him. Dvalishvili also said Yan is a father of two and a good family man. He added that he was not surprised when Yan joked with him at a news conference.
“I want to beat Petr Yan, who is the best fighter. I have to beat him, and then he will be humiliated. He will automatically be humiliated,” Dvalishvili added.
Yan defeated Dvalishvili by unanimous decision in December 2025. The Georgian fighter was hospitalized after the bout. Dvalishvili won their fight in March 2023.
