- Oct 16, 2026
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Merab Dvalishvili ends a 10-month absence Saturday at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi, facing Petr Yan in a trilogy co-main event. The former bantamweight champion attempted four title defenses in 2026 against Sandhagen, O Malley, and Nurmagomedov, but Yan denied his fourth attempt and avenged a 2023 defeat.
Dvalishvili expressed no remorse about his busy schedule. "I don't regret that I was busy last year and I am happy even when I lost," he said. He added that he believes he should face Yan again regardless of outcome. Dvalishvili specifically requested time to prepare for Yan and wants to open a gym in November.
Looking ahead, Dvalishvili is open to facing Song Yadong at UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden. Song earned the opportunity with a second-round knockout of Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC Shanghai, though he carries prior losses to Yan, Sandhagen, and O Malley.
The UFC 333 main card also features Alexander Volkanovski defending his featherweight title against Movsar Evloev. Elsewhere, Arman Tsarukyan has been told he will fight for the title in early 2027, while Khamzat Chimaev vowed to pursue Sean Strickland across any weight class for a rematch. Aaron Pico accepted a drop from ranked to unranked opposition without hesitation.
Source: MMA Fighting - Fri Oct 23, 10:00 AM ET
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).