Merab Dvalishvili prepares for UFC 333 trilogy against Petr Yan

Merab Dvalishvili is expected to face a highly motivated and physically improved version of himself as he prepares for a trilogy fight against Petr Yan at UFC 333 on October 24. Dvalishvili’s coach, John Wood, stated that the fighter has reached a career peak in training camp, noting that he has never been in better cardio shape.

The rivalry follows a series of high-stakes encounters. While Dvalishvili previously defeated Yan in 2023, Yan reclaimed the bantamweight title by stopping Dvalishvili at UFC 323 in December 2025, ending Dvalishvili’s 14-fight winning streak. The trilogy match was delayed due to injuries sustained by both athletes following their last bout.

Yan enters the co-headlining event on a four-fight winning streak, including victories over Deiveson Figueiredo and Song Yadong. Early betting lines suggest Yan is a slight favorite for the matchup, which will take place at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.