Merab Dvalishvili Targets Knockout Win in Upcoming Petr Yan Rematch

Merab Dvalishvili is preparing for his third encounter with Petr Yan, which is scheduled to serve as the co-main event for UFC 333 later this month. Dvalishvili lost his bantamweight title to Yan during their previous meeting at UFC 323. Despite the setback, Dvalishvili stated in a recent interview that he intends to prioritize finishing the fight rather than relying solely on his typical wrestling-heavy approach for the duration of the contest.

Regarding his long-term plans, Dvalishvili noted that he hopes to secure a bout with Song Yadong should he successfully reclaim the championship against Yan. He acknowledged Yadong's knockout power and recent victory over Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC Shanghai. Dvalishvili described a potential matchup against the Chinese contender as a dangerous but significant challenge he is willing to accept.