Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili will complete their trilogy in the co-main event of UFC 333 this Saturday at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The series remains tied at 1-1.
Dvalishvili dominated their first meeting in March 2023, scoring 50-45 on all three judges’ cards behind an 11-takedown performance. Yan leveled the score at UFC 323 in December 2025, taking the bantamweight belt and snapping Dvalishvili’s 14-fight winning streak.
With experts divided on who will win the deciding match, the champion explained how he expects the trilogy bout to unfold.
Petr Yan Says He Has Figured Out Merab Dvalishvili Ahead of UFC 333
Yan stated that spending 50 minutes inside the Octagon with Dvalishvili gave him all the data he needs. He treats their second fight as the direct blueprint for Saturday’s trilogy and promises to show completely new elements in his game.
“We definitely have enough information downloaded from the time we spent together in the Octagon,” Yan said. “But the second victory, obviously, was very dominant. I’ve figured him out and I’m gonna do whatever I can to this time bring the same type of victory and even open new layers which we haven’t seen yet.”
“These are two greats in this division.”
Champion Petr Yan (@PetrYanUFC) is fully confident heading into this third bout against Merab Dvalishvili and believes he still has more to show.
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While Yan kept his tactical adjustments secret, his confidence stems from his performance last December. In that match, the champion exposed how to neutralize “The Machine” by blocking 27 of his 29 takedown attempts.
Meanwhile, Yan landed five of his own nine takedowns. The striking numbers shifted just as drastically. After trailing 147-75 in significant strikes during their first fight, Yan won the striking count 139-134 in the rematch by relying on a steady jab and heavy body kicks.
Dvalishvili, who successfully defended his belt three times before losing to Yan, openly admitted he learned from the defeat. He comes into the trilogy with a full camp, a fresh pace and a clear understanding of what went wrong.
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“I think the second fight I was fighting his fight,” Dvalishvili explained. “I was in front of him and then exchanged the boxing, but this time I will just be myself.”
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Later on UFC Paramount+, he detailed the exact moment he realized the rematch was slipping away, saying, “I think second round, I came back to the plan of I’m going to take him down, and I shot at him, and I really tried, and he defended again my takedowns. In 10 seconds, all my energy came out and then I’m like, ‘What now? I don’t think I can take him down. I’m going to have to just fight.”
This is Yan’s first title defense of his second reign. A win would also give him the series 2-1. Dvalishvili, the No. 1 contender, can become a two-time champion and settle the rivalry on his terms. The bout co-headlines the card under the Alexander Volkanovski vs. Movsar Evloev featherweight title fight.
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Yan enters the trilogy believing he has solved Dvalishvili’s fighting style. Whether he has will be decided Saturday, when Dvalishvili tries to change the pattern that cost him the belt in their last meeting.
