Petr Yan Confident Ahead of UFC 333 Trilogy Fight with Merab Dvalishvili

Petr Yan feels confident as he prepares to face Merab Dvalishvili for the third time this Saturday at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi. Their rivalry has been intense, with each fighter having one win against the other. Yan believes he clearly showed his superiority in their last fight and expects to repeat that success.

Their first meeting in March 2023 ended with a dominant decision victory for Dvalishvili, but Yan was battling a broken hand at the time. When they met again in December 2025, Yan was fully healthy and managed to control the fight, earning a lopsided decision and reclaiming the UFC bantamweight title.

Will Dvalishvili's Busy Schedule Affect His Performance?

Dvalishvili fought four title bouts in 2025, culminating in his loss to Yan. Yan noted on The Ariel Helwani Show that he wished he could have fought sooner but had to recover from back surgery. Despite questions about whether Dvalishvili's busy schedule affected his readiness for their last fight, Yan remains unfazed by such talk.

"It doesn't annoy me at all," Yan said through an interpreter. "If he or his fans want to use that as an excuse, soon we'll find out who's the better man."

Pre-Fight Tensions and Respect

Dvalishvili recently called Yan rude and said he needed to be humbled again. Yan responded by saying he was honest during their previous exchanges and denied being rude, insisting that it was Dvalishvili who was humbled in their last fight.

"I wasn’t rude. I was just being real," Yan explained. "When he started making things up, I told him to shut up. Most important is he knows I humbled him."

Lessons Learned and Strategy Going Forward

Yan admitted that the key difference between their first two fights was his ability to land punches effectively in the rematch. He added that Dvalishvili himself acknowledged feeling broken early in their second fight.

"He admitted he was broken in the second round," Yan said. "You can state it as fact that I made him humble."

Having faced each other twice, both fighters understand what to expect. Yan believes he can control the upcoming fight and come out on top once again.

"We know what to expect from each other," Yan said. "I know how to counter him and plan to make him fight my way, controlling the fight and defeating him again."

Both Fighters Eager to Return

The UFC 333 bout will be the first fight of the year for both Yan and Dvalishvili. Fans are anticipating a thrilling conclusion to their trilogy with much on the line for both competitors.