Dvalishvili Ready For Yan Trilogy

UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan is set to co-headline UFC 333 later this year against two-time rival Merab Dvalishvili, with the pair running back one of the biggest rivalries in bantamweight history.

Yan and Dvalishvili enter the trilogy fight tied 1-1, after Yan stunned then-champion Dvalishvili with a unanimous decision win at UFC 323 last year to reclaim the belt.

Before that loss, Dvalishvili was widely considered one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport — a status he's aiming to reclaim with a statement win in the trilogy bout. In the meantime, he says the defeat forced him to rethink his approach heading into a fight he knows will be far from easy.

"I have one of the toughest challenges in front of me, and usually I do very well when I know I have a tough opponent and challenge. I'm working very hard, but now I'm trying to be smarter. I was working hard for the last fight, but wasn't taking breaks, and I was just burning myself out. Petr Yan — he'll never be an easy fight for me. I knew that [before], but it surprised me how good he is and how hard he hits. If I don't prepare really, really well, he will beat the s*** out of me again," Dvalishvili

The rivalry now sits at a pivotal point, with the winner likely to solidify their case as the top bantamweight in the world heading into 2027.