Merab Dvalishvili is impatiently waiting for an update on his next UFC fight.
The former bantamweight champion lost his belt to Petr Yan at UFC 323 last December.
After becoming a two-time UFC titleholder, Petr Yan had a brutal nine-hour surgery on his back.
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Merab Dvalishvili provides Petr Yan trilogy update
Merab Dvalishvili claims the UFC has promised him a trilogy fight with Petr Yan is next.
‘The Machine’ dominated Yan for five full rounds when they first met in March 2023.
‘No Mercy’ impressively outpointed him in their rematch, which set the scene for a tiebreaking third fight.
Yan recently claimed he’d be ready to fight again in June, but there has been no official update about his return.
“I don’t hear anything from him,” Dvalishvili told MMA Fighting.
“He don’t want to fight yet. I don’t know what is the situation. We all see his interview, he was ready in June for the White House, but they have already announced the July fight card. They’re going to announce the August fight card soon.
“They haven’t told me anything. All I know is I’m fighting Yan, but I don’t know when. I don’t know the time. It looks like Petr is taking his time.”
Dvalishvili understands that he relinquished control when he failed to beat Yan at UFC 323.
So, he’ll try to stay busy by taking grappling matches, like the one he’s set to have with MMA legend Frankie Edgar at RAF 09 this weekend.
“Hey, this is the game we’re in,” Dvalishvili added, “Sometimes you have to wait. When I was champion, I can push the UFC. I can tell [them], ‘Hey, UFC, keep me busy, I want to fight soon,’ and the UFC keeps me busy.
“Now I’m not a champion, and I have to wait for my opponent. This is the game. This is the situation and I understand. That’s why I was rushing, and when I have the opportunity to fight more often, I’ll still do the same. But now, unfortunately, I have to wait for him.”
2026-05-25 19:30:00
