Petr Yan knows where he stands in the rivalry with Merab Dvalishvili.
After pulling off one of the best performances of 2025, Yan must do it again when he meets Dvalishvili for the third time this Saturday in Abu Dhabi, for the UFC 333 co-main event. Yan’s rematch with “The Machine” in December was a complete reversal from their first encounter, dominating Dvalishvili in March 2023. Yan had a broken hand in that first bout, but came into the rematch healthy and finally Dvalishvili’s game was typically stifled, scoring a lopsided decision to become the UFC bantamweight champion.
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The big question ahead of this week’s trilogy, however, is whether Dvalishvili was also acting in his kingdom; Dvalishvili rejected four title fights in 2025, capped by Yan’s loss. In the 10 months since their rematch, Yan admitted on Monday’s edition of “The Ariel Helwani Show” that he wanted to fight sooner, but his hand to repair discs in his lower back kept him in action. Ultimately, the claimant was troubled by the uncertainty of the narrative as to how Dvalishvili had prepared for the previous encounter.
“I don’t care at all,” Yan told the Uncrowned through an interpreter. “If he wants to use this as an excuse or his fans want to use this as an excuse, we’re going to find out soon. We have a day, less than a week, to see who is the better man.”
Recently, Dvalishvili was kicked out of a famous fight with Yan as a “rude man” who needs to be humbled.
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In response, Yan says that he is telling the truth about their rematch, and that Dvalishvili only exists as one who has already been humiliated in defeat.
“I wasn’t rude. I was honest, and when he was asked, and he started doing it, I told him to shut up. That’s it. I’m not rude at all,” Yan said.
“He knows best that I humiliated him.”
Yan 2023’s loss to Dvalishvili marked the latest setback in a stunning three-fight skid for Russia. Yan was heavily pressured afterward, winning three dominant ties to earn another crack at the title he once held.
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As mentioned, Yan’s broken hand during the confrontation with Dvalishvili was a talking point. If their December rematch was any indication, it was Yan’s injury was a major factor in his first battle, as many of Yan’s compositions were made between battles.
“The biggest difference between the fights was that I was able to knock him down, and he, in the interviews, admitted that he was broken in the second round. So, for what I did low,” said Yan.
“In general, we have a lot of information about each other. We know what to expect from each other after the fight twice. I know what to expect from him this time, and I know how to counter and I can trust him to fight the way I want: control where the fight goes and beat him again.”
Their trilogy IRC will be the first fight of the year for both Yan and Dvalishvili.