Petr Yan Promises to ‘Take Apart’ Merab Dvalishvili in UFC 333 Trilogy

Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili have already spent 10 rounds answering the same question in completely different ways. At UFC 333, the bantamweight rivals get one final chance to settle it.

Yan defends the UFC bantamweight title against Dvalishvili in the co-main event on Saturday, October 24, at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Their series is tied 1-1: Dvalishvili dominated the first fight with relentless wrestling, while Yan turned the rematch into a showcase of takedown defense, adjustments and cleaner striking.

Yan is not promising another measured decision. At the UFC 333 press conference, he said his team approaches fights surgically and vowed to take Dvalishvili apart “one detail at a time.” He also promised to break the former champion’s nose again.

Yan’s message is blunt, but the strategy is clear

The threat makes a sharp headline, but Yan’s tactical point matters more. He believes he can deny Dvalishvili’s takedowns, force him to strike for long stretches and punish every failed entry.

That is essentially what happened in the rematch. Dvalishvili completed only two of 29 takedown attempts, according to the UFC’s fight-week breakdown. Yan repeatedly returned to his feet, made reads as the fight developed and kept the exchanges in the areas where he held the advantage.

Yan must now prove that performance was a repeatable solution rather than one perfect night. Dvalishvili and his team have had months to study what failed, and the challenger has already acknowledged that he was not properly prepared for Yan the second time.

Two fights produced two different blueprints

The first meeting belonged to Dvalishvili. He completed 11 takedowns on a UFC-record 49 attempts and never allowed Yan to establish the deliberate pace he prefers. The constant pressure turned every exchange into another decision: defend, circle, reset, then defend again.

Yan reversed that dynamic in December 2025. Instead of letting the wrestling volume dictate the fight, he made Dvalishvili pay for reaching and mixed in takedowns of his own. Once Dvalishvili could not create sustained control, Yan’s striking and ability to adjust took over.

The UFC’s official tactical analysis identifies the central challenge for the trilogy. Dvalishvili may have to continue shooting even after Yan stuffs several attempts, because the threat disappears if he accepts a kickboxing match. Yan’s job is to make that persistence expensive without letting Dvalishvili’s pace pull him into chaos.

Dvalishvili says the loss changed his preparation

Dvalishvili is not claiming the rematch was stolen from him. He told CBS Sports that Yan was better and that he made mistakes. His most revealing admission was that he had prepared for a fight, but had not prepared specifically enough for Yan.

The challenger says his training and mindset are different this time. He promised a “smart Merab and a winning Merab,” and said he believes he will win unless Yan knocks him out.

That makes the third fight more interesting than a simple replay. Dvalishvili knows which parts of his usual game stopped working. The question is whether he can change the connections between his wrestling, pressure and striking without losing the pace that made him champion.

What decides the UFC 333 trilogy

The fight may turn on what happens immediately after Dvalishvili’s first few failed takedowns. If he can chain attempts together, keep Yan near the fence and force long defensive sequences, he can recreate the exhausting conditions of their first meeting. If the shots become isolated, Yan will have time to read them and counter.

Yan also has to manage the mental pressure of defending a title against an opponent who refuses to slow down. His patient reads are one of his greatest strengths, but patience cannot become inactivity. Body work, disciplined footwork and occasional offensive wrestling could stop Dvalishvili from building momentum.

UFC 333 offers a rare championship trilogy in which both fighters have already produced a convincing blueprint. Dvalishvili showed that relentless wrestling can bury Yan under volume. Yan showed that disciplined defense can strip Dvalishvili of his biggest advantage.

Now each man knows exactly what the other wants. The winner in Abu Dhabi will be the one who can impose his answer after the opponent has spent an entire camp preparing to take it away.