Dvalishvili Vows a Quick Return After Losing the Yan Trilogy

Merab Dvalishvili says he is healthy and ready to come back after losing the third fight of his series with Petr Yan. He made the promise in a statement on social media, two days after the UFC 333 co-main event.

Dvalishvili (21-6) lost a unanimous decision to Yan (21-5) at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi and did not win back the UFC bantamweight title. All three judges scored the five-round fight 48-47 for the Russian champion.

The challenger started well. His relentless wrestling pressure earned him the first two rounds on every scorecard. Yan changed the fight in the third. He defended the takedowns and landed damaging blows on the feet over the final three rounds.

A statement full of thanks

Dvalishvili wrote on X that he was grateful, and he began with God. He then named the men who worked his corner: Aljamain Sterling, Davey Grant, Zviad Lazishvili and John Wood. He added thanks to his teammates and training partners in Las Vegas, who in his words always showed up and pushed him to great limits.

His post also thanked his New York team, including Matt Serra, as well as the "New York / Long Island Boys." He thanked the UFC for always giving him these opportunities, and he finished with his family, friends and fans. Their support and love, he said, means the world to him.

"I cannot wait to be back in that cage doing what I love to do! I am healthy and motivated and will be back soon! This Machine never breaks! See you all soon."

The post came from the account of Merab "The Machine" Dvalishvili and was dated October 26, 2026.

Source: Sherdog