Merab Dvalishvili is itching to return to theoctagonto reclaim what he lost to Petr Yan at UFC 323. The Georgian had a tremendous year as a champion in 2025. He registered 3 successful title defenses.
However, he could not end the year on a high note and fell short in his pursuit of becoming the first UFC champion to secure four successful title defenses in 12 months, when he suffereda lossto Petr Yan in a rematch at UFC 323.
The promotion has promised “The Machine” an immediate title rematch. However,he has to wait, as Yan is currently sidelined after undergoing lower back surgery. “No Mercy,” the current and two-time UFC bantamweight champion, is expected to return after 2-3 months.
Petr Yan says he was under anesthesia for nine hours during surgery and expects to be back in action in a couple of months#UFC📸@PetrYanUFCpic.twitter.com/jrwZP1ghwz
A few hours back, Merab Dvalishvili informed fans via his socials that the trilogy bout withPetr Yanwill happen this summer. He posted:
“Are you guys ready for trilogy in Summer?
Check out Merab Dvalishvili’s comments below:
🚨 Merab Dvalishvili says the Petr Yan trilogy is happening this summer 👀(via@MerabDvalishvil)pic.twitter.com/iudjbw19rb
OnTheAriel HelwaniShow, Merab Dvalishvili’s coach, John Wood, lauded Petr Yan’s UFC 323 performance, admitting that the best version of Yan was on display that night, who looked healthy and more motivated than ever. Wood also admitted that Yan is the best bantamweight in the world currently, before adding:
“I think there’s a version of Merab that beats that Petr all day long. There’s no doubt in my mind that Merab can beat that Petr Yan in that fight… I think the third one is going to be a great fight. I think Merab will go out there and get that title back, and I think he is going to beat another great version of Petr Yan.”
Source: LowKickMMA.com
