Merab Dvalishvili has sent a chilling warning to Petr Yan while discussing what he plans to do differently when he and Yan meet a third time inside the octagon.
Yan vs. Dvalishvili is set to take place at UFC 333 on October 24. Ahead of this title rematch, “The Machine” has identified the flaws in his game and what went wrong at UFC 323, when the Russian fighter dethroned him.
In an interview with UFC on Paramount, Dvalishvili said that in the Yan trilogy bout, he will have to ‘chase Yan’s body, mix things up, and just be himself.’ The 35-year-old sent a chilling warning to the current and two-time bantamweight champion.
“In the last fight, I was trying to be different than I was. I was chasing his head too much. Now I’m gonna chase his body, then mix it up. And then just I will be just myself… He was the No. 1; now I will be No. 1. I will be the one who will chase him and who will rip the body and rip the head and break his face.”
Check out Merab Dvalishvili’s comments below:
Last year, when “The Machine” was dethroned at UFC 323, Yan dictated the pace and landed more accurate shots to Dvalishvili’s body, head, and liver, while also stopping the Georgian fighter’s takedowns and scoring some of his own. After 25 minutes, Dvalishvili’s face was a bloody mess, yet “The Machine” refused to give up. Unfortunately for him, it was simply not his night. UFC 323 was also Dvalishvili’s fourth title defense in 12 months, and he had previously revealed that he specifically did not train for Yan and entered the bout injured.
However, this time, after months of recovery, both fighters will meet again to settle their trilogy, which is currently tied at 1-1.
Merab Dvalishvili discusses who he wants to face if he recaptures UFC bantamweight title at UFC 333
If Merab Dvalishvili recaptures the UFC bantamweight title by defeating Petr Yan at UFC 333, he wants to defend it against Song Yadong.
In the same interview above, “The Machine” named Yadong as the fighter he would love to face in the future. Yadong most recently knocked out Umar Nurmagomedov cold at UFC Shanghai, and Dvalishvili is impressed with “Kung Fu Kid.” He said:
“I was excited for Song Yadong. He is the new contender now. He’s new blood. I’ve never fought him, and he excites me because he is dangerous and has knockout power… I think if I beat Petr, I think Song Yadong will be my next opponent.”
Check out Merab Dvalishvili’s comments below:
