UFC champion Petr Yan defends bantamweight belt against Merab Dvalishvili in Abu Dhabi trilogy
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The gist
UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan defends his title against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi.
The series is tied 1-1, so the third fight decides the trilogy.
Background
Petr Yan is the Russian UFC bantamweight champion nicknamed "No Mercy," who first won the 135-pound title in 2020 by stopping UFC Hall of Famer José Aldo. Merab Dvalishvili, the former champion from Georgia, beat Yan by unanimous decision in 2023, and Yan avenged that loss in December 2025 to take the belt back. With the series tied 1-1, the two meet for a third time, and Yan has spent the buildup talking up a detailed game plan he likens to a soccer team's tactical blueprint.
How it unfolded
- 2020Yan captured the vacant bantamweight title by stopping UFC Hall of Famer José Aldo in the fifth round at UFC 251 in Abu Dhabi.
- Mar 2023Dvalishvili dominated the first meeting in Las Vegas, winning a unanimous decision with 50-45 scores from all three judges behind an 11-takedown performance.
- 2024Yan defeated Song Yadong at UFC 299, starting a winning run through Deiveson Figueiredo and Marcus McGhee.
- Dec 6, 2025Yan took the bantamweight belt at UFC 323 in Las Vegas, snapping Dvalishvili's 14-fight winning streak and extending his own to four.
- Sep 18, 2026Yan and Dvalishvili faced off during the UFC 333 press conference at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
- Oct 20, 2026Reports detailed Yan's five-page game plan, likened to a soccer team's tactical blueprint.
- Oct 21, 2026Yan posed with his team during an open training session at Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi.
- Oct 24, 2026Yan is scheduled to defend the UFC bantamweight title against Dvalishvili at UFC 333 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, his fifth time competing in Abu Dhabi.
Who’s saying what
- Champion
- Yan says he has "figured out" Dvalishvili from their time in the Octagon and expects to win again, with a game plan broken down situation by situation.
- Challenger
- Dvalishvili says he was not himself in the rematch, has changed that for UFC 333, and believes he is "much better" than Yan and has to prove it.
- UFC
- The promotion billed the matchup as "two greats in this division."
Still unverified
Experts are described as divided on who will win the deciding match; Dvalishvili's claim that he wasn't himself in the rematch is his own account.