Merab Dvalishvili expects Petr Yan fight at UFC 330 in August

Merab Dvalishvili has indicated he expects to fight bantamweight champion Petr Yan at UFC 330 this August, though no official confirmation from the promotion has been announced.

Dvalishvili, known as "The Machine," enters as the top-ranked bantamweight contender and sits second in the pound-for-pound rankings. The 35-year-old Georgian, who trains out of Serra-Longo Fight Team, holds a 21-5 record and is one of the division's most relentless fighters, averaging 6.4 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside a striking output of 4.33 significant strikes landed per minute. He acknowledged that Yan, as champion, holds the authority to determine when he returns to competition.

Yan, 33, carries a 20-5 record and brings a sharper striking game into any potential matchup. The Russian fighter, representing Archangel Michael Club, lands 5.12 significant strikes per minute at 54 percent accuracy, making him one of the more technically precise finishers in the 135-pound division.

According to the report, the bantamweight clash could be featured on the same card as a title defense by welterweight and pound-for-pound king Islam Makhachev. The 34-year-old Makhachev, representing Eagles MMA, holds a 28-1 record and has long been regarded as the sport's most complete fighter, averaging 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes and connecting on 58 percent of his significant strikes.

Why it matters

• Dvalishvili is the division's top-ranked contender and a legitimate stylistic nightmare for any champion
• A Yan title defense in August would mark his first fight as bantamweight champion under this reign
• Sharing a card with Makhachev would raise the event's profile considerably
• The matchup remains unconfirmed, and Yan's timeline as champion gives him scheduling leverage