Petr Yan is more than ready!!! One of the biggest bantamweight fights in UFC history is just around the corner as Merab Dvalishvili is looking to get revenge on Petr Yan as the pair face off in the rubber match at UFC 33 in Abu Dhabi Many fans we're left shocked with the adjustments Yan made when the pair re matched last December seeing as Merab just seemed to be to much for him in the first fight. Now, Yan promises a more detailed approach with a whole new game plan in store. Many fans are calling this the fight to cement the 135 GOAT seeing as the pair have accumulated an incredible resume between them. Who takes home gold and is GOAT status at 135 on the line for the winner?
Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili are set to meet for a third time, with the bantamweight rubber match slated for UFC 33 in Abu Dhabi. The bout is being billed as one of the biggest 135-pound fights in UFC history, with the winner's claim to greatest-bantamweight-of-all-time status very much part of the conversation.
The series is level at one win apiece. Dvalishvili took a unanimous decision over Yan in March 2023, a fight in which he appeared to be simply too much for the Russian. Yan answered at UFC 323 in December 2025, winning a unanimous decision over five rounds to claim the title. Fans were surprised by the adjustments he made in the rematch, and Yan has promised a more detailed approach and a new game plan this time.
The champion
Yan, 33, is the reigning bantamweight champion at 20-5. The Russian fights out of Archangel Michael Club and works from a switch stance. He lands 5.12 significant strikes per minute at 54 percent accuracy, the better numbers on both counts. His most recent recorded fight is the Dvalishvili rematch, and it extended a run of three straight unanimous decision wins that also includes Marcus McGhee in July 2025 and Deiveson Figueiredo in November 2024.
The challenger
Dvalishvili, 35, is 21-5 and ranked number one at bantamweight and number two pound-for-pound. The Georgian trains with the Serra-Longo Fight Team and is known for relentless pace and wrestling. He averages 6.4 takedowns per 15 minutes, against 1.58 for Yan, and lands 4.33 significant strikes per minute at 42 percent accuracy. Before the loss to Yan, he beat Cory Sandhagen by decision in October 2025 and submitted Sean O'Malley in June 2025, both in title fights.
Why it matters
- The trilogy is tied 1-1, with both previous fights going the full five rounds to unanimous decisions.
- The style contrast is stark: Yan's striking accuracy is 12 percentage points higher, while Dvalishvili's takedown rate is roughly four times Yan's.
- Dvalishvili is two years older, at 35 to Yan's 33, though he holds a two-inch reach edge in neither direction: Yan's 67-inch reach trails his 68 by just one inch.
- Yan holds the belt and is the fighter with momentum, while Dvalishvili is the top-ranked contender seeking revenge and a return to the title.
Merab Dvalishvili vs Petr Yan
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