Merab Dvalishvili: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

Merab Dvalishvili admits he knew he wasn’t going to beat Petr Yan in second round of their rematch

Merab Dvalishvili has opened up on his second fight with Petr Yan ahead of their trilogy. Last December, Yan ended Dvalishvili’s dominant win streak by avenging the loss that he previously suffered to ‘The Machine’.

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Petr Yan Calls Merab Dvalishvili a ‘Broken Machine’ Ahead of UFC 333 Trilogy Fight

Petr Yan will defend his UFC bantamweight title against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 333 on October 24 in Abu Dhabi Yan recently called Dvalishvili a ‘broken

MMA News / EssentiallySports / October 6

Sean O’Malley Leaves Payton Talbott’s Fate in Merab Dvalishvili and Petr Yan’s Hands Amid Ducking Allegations

Sean O’Malley isn’t exactly running from Payton Talbott. In fact, ‘Suga’ sounds pretty open to the fight, but there’s one big problem: Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili could completely shake up the bantamweight picture before O’Malley gets anywhere near Talbott.

MMA News / BoxingNews.com / October 4

Talbott Eyes O'Malley Fight If Dvalishvili Wins At UFC 333

Payton Talbott wants Sean O'Malley next, but the matchup might hinge on whether Merab Dvalishvili recaptures bantamweight gold. Talbott, coming off a first-round

MMA News / MMA Weekly / September 29

Merab Dvalishvili in the best shape of his life ahead of Petr Yan trilogy, says coach

Merab Dvalishvili isn’t cutting corners as he nears his UFC bantamweight title clash against champion Petr Yan. The two 135-pounders last met in December 2025, with Yan coming out on top and snapping Dvalishvili’s 7-year, 14-fight win streak.

MMA News / BoxingNews.com / September 28

Dvalishvili's Coach Reveals 'Different' Fighter For UFC 333 Trilogy

Merab Dvalishvili's coach says Petr Yan will face an improved version of the former champion when the bantamweights settle their rivalry at UFC 333 on Oct.

MMA News / BoxingNews.com / September 22

Dvalishvili Reveals Key Error From Yan Title Loss

Merab Dvalishvili pinned his UFC 323 title loss on a tactical misstep he will not repeat when he faces Petr Yan for a third time. The former bantamweight champion told MMA Fighting's José Youngs that he abandoned his wrestling base in the rematch and traded punches with Yan instead, a strategy that backfired badly.

MMA News / BoxingNews.com / September 14

Dvalishvili On Nurmagomedov's Shanghai KO Loss

Merab Dvalishvili says he took no pleasure in watching Umar Nurmagomedov get knocked out by Song Yadong in Shanghai, despite their bitter rivalry. Nurmagomedov suffered the first stoppage loss of his career when Song landed a perfectly timed uppercut at UFC Shanghai in August, according to Sherdog.

MMA News / BoxingNews.com / September 2

O'Malley On Yan-Dvalishvili Trilogy Outcome

Sean O'Malley believes Song Yadong's win over Umar Nurmagomedov works in his favor, laying out how the bantamweight title picture could shake out depending on the Petr Yan-Merab Dvalishvili trilogy at UFC 333 on October 24.

MMA News / BoxingNews.com / August 29

Dvalishvili Clears Air On Makhachev Flag Display

Merab Dvalishvili has addressed his reaction to Islam Makhachev's corner displaying the Russian flag inside the Octagon following UFC 330. The bantamweight champion took to social media to clarify his feelings about the lightweight titleholder, making clear his objection was to the flag itself rather than the fighter.

MMA News / BoxingNews.com / August 27

O'Malley Predicts Yan Over Dvalishvili At UFC 333

Sean O'Malley backed Petr Yan to retain his bantamweight title against Merab Dvalishvili when the pair meet for a third time at UFC 333. Yan and Dvalishvili have split two fights — Dvalishvili won the first decisively, Yan reversed the result in the rematch to reclaim the belt — and O'Malley has shared the octagon with both men.

MMA News / BoxingNews.com / August 26

Dvalishvili Clears Air With Makhachev After UFC 330

Merab Dvalishvili has no issue with Islam Makhachev, despite the UFC welterweight champion believing otherwise. Makhachev recently told Russian media that the bantamweight champ criticized his performance at UFC 330, where he defended his title against Ian Machado Garry.

MMA News / BoxingNews.com / August 26

Nurmagomedov Confirms Dvalishvili Rematch Personal

Umar Nurmagomedov wants Merab Dvalishvili again, and the stakes have shifted beyond a title shot. The undefeated Russian bantamweight dropped his first pro bout to Dvalishvili by unanimous decision in a UFC title fight last January.

MMA News / BoxingNews.com / August 25

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.

MMA News / BoxingNews.com / August 24

Dvalishvili Explains Slap After Backstage Grab

Merab Dvalishvili says he slapped Umar Nurmagomedov's friend at RAF Georgia after the man grabbed him by the neck backstage. The former UFC bantamweight champion defeated Henry Cejudo in a wrestling match at the event in July, then rejected the idea of a wrestling bout with Nurmagomedov in pointed language.

MMA News / TWSN / August 16

Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili 3: For The Title Of Bantamweight GOAT

UFC 333’s full card was announced during the UFC 330 main card broadcast, and it’s looking like one of the most stacked cards of the year so far. In the

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MMA News / EssentiallySports / August 12

'How Do You Live With That?': Umar Nurmagomedov Slams Merab Dvalishvili for Slapping His Friend During RAF Altercation

Umar Nurmagomedov has finally addressed the altercation involving his friend, Ahmed Gadzhimagomedov, and Merab Dvalishvili at the Real American Freestyle event in Georgia last month.

MMA News / Total Pro Sports / May 31

Merab Dvalishvili Claims UFC Assured Him a Championship Opportunity Next

Merab Dvalishvili walked out of the RAF 09 with a win over Frankie Edgar and a guarantee he wanted the world to hear. The former bantamweight champion made it clear in his post-fight interview that the UFC has given him big assurances.

MMA News / EssentiallySports / May 30

Merab Dvalishvili Forced To Stop Consuming Larry Wheels’ Product Over UFC Doping Fears

Merab Dvalishvili nearly found himself in an awkward anti-doping conversation before even stepping onto the mat at RAF 09. During a recent Kick livestream, Larry Wheels convinced the former UFC bantamweight champion to try his White Rabbit kratom seltzer.

MMA News / Total Pro Sports / May 29