Merab Dvalishvili Prepares for Title Defense Against Petr Yan

Las Vegas, Nevada — Merab Dvalishvili is back in Las Vegas, preparing to defend his bantamweight title at UFC 323 against Petr Yan this Saturday. This marks Dvalishvili’s fourth title defense of the year and his second in just three months.

Dvalishvili, nicknamed ‘The Machine’, previously defeated Cory Sandhagen in October and submitted Sean O'Malley in their rematch at UFC 316. He first won the title in January at UFC 311 against Umar Nurmagomedov, handing him the first loss of his career.

“It feels good to be back,” Dvalishvili said. “I like to be busy, and other than the weight cuts, everything is beautiful.” The champion added, “Thank you a lot UFC for giving me this opportunity to fight a fourth time this year.”

With only a few days left before his fight, Dvalishvili expressed his love for fighting and the sport of MMA. “I want to make weight, win the fight, and do the same thing next year,” he said.

Saturday’s fight holds extra importance for Dvalishvili, as Yan is coming off a three-fight win streak, including a recent win over Marcus McGhee. “Petr is the most deserving opponent for me at this moment because he’s coming from a three-win streak,” Dvalishvili explained. “He’s dangerous, and I’m sure he will be hungry and would love to avenge his loss.”

In their first bout, Dvalishvili dominated Yan, landing 11 out of 49 takedown attempts. Yan has promised a different outcome this time. “I should not relax. I can’t relax,” Dvalishvili said. “This guy is very dangerous, and we will give UFC fans a very good fight.”

Dvalishvili is preparing intensely for the fight. “I have to make 135 on Friday morning, and the day after, I have to fight against the best guy, Petr Yan,” he said.

Looking ahead, Dvalishvili aims to replicate his success in 2026, stating, “I want to defend my belt. I have to focus on a top opponent like Petr Yan.” He also expressed potential interest in future opportunities should the UFC present them, but for now, his priority is on his title defense this Saturday.

Fans can catch the live action from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on December 6, 2025, starting with early prelims at 6 p.m. ET.