Merab Dvalishvili has been told that he is fighting UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan next, but no date has been set for their trilogy bout.
Dvalishvili lost his belt to Yan at UFC 323 in December, in what was a sizable upset at the time. That was the pair’s second clash inside the Octagon, after Dvalishvili shut out Yan on the scorecards in their first fight back in 2023. So to see the fight essentially flip around and have Yan being the one to dominate Dvalishvili in the rematch was surprising for many fans who watched it.
Because Dvalishvili had successfully defended his belt three times, the assumption from fight fans and media was that he would get an immediate rematch for the title against Yan. Indeed, it looks like that will be the case, though there is no timetable for his trilogy fight with Yan for the belt.
Merab Dvalishvili Confirms Trilogy Bout With Petr Yan
Speaking to Damon Martin of MMAFighting.com ahead of his wrestling match against UFC legend Frankie Edgar at RAF 9, Dvalishvili confirmed the UFC is giving him a trilogy bout with Yan for the belt in his next fight, but he doesn’t know when it will take place, as Yan is still healing up after undergoing back surgery following their fight in December.
“I don’t hear anything from him. 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. I don’t know the time. It looks like Petr is taking his time,” Dvalishvili said.
Last year, Dvalishvili fought four times, which was a crazy schedule for a UFC champion, and one many felt cost him his belt as he looked to be physically tired against Yan at UFC 323, something he’s never had an issue with in his career, as he’s known for his elite conditioning.
Merab Dvalishvili Will Continue Waiting for Petr Yan
After taking off the last six months, Dvalishvili is ready to get going again, but since he’s not the champion anymore, the schedule is dictated by the champ, and Yan is not ready to go yet.
Although Dvalishvili loves to compete, he knows that he has to be patient and keep waiting for the UFC to give him the green light to start his training camp, something that will only happen once Yan says he’s ready to go again.
“Hey, this is the game we’re in. Sometimes you have to wait. 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. 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. That’s why I was rushing and when I have the opportunity to fight more often, I’ll still do the same. But now unfortunately I have to wait for him,” Dvalishvili said.
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