- Oct 16, 2026
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Petr Yan will defend his bantamweight championship against Merab Dvalishvili in a trilogy fight serving as the UFC 333 co-main event this Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The 135-pound matchup concludes a rivalry that has produced two starkly different outcomes.
Dvalishvili dominated their first encounter in 2023, landing 11 takedowns over five rounds. But Yan reversed the result at UFC 323 in December, capturing the title after limiting Dvalishvili to just two takedowns. Yan later downplayed his opponent's wrestling success, noting that despite numerous attempts, Dvalishvili failed to secure a single takedown in their rematch.
Yan enters the rubber match with pointed confidence. He vowed to break Dvalishvili's nose again and said the man known as "The Machine" would be dismantled gradually. Yan also emphasized his focus on title defense, describing the upcoming bout as a fresh challenge rather than an extension of past meetings.
The broadcast team of Jon Anik, Daniel Cormier and Paul Felder will call the action.
Source: MMA Fighting - Thu Oct 22, 12:00 PM ET
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).