Dvalishvili Vows Revenge: "I Will Take My Belt Back" Before UFC 333 Abu Dhabi Trilogy

Merab Dvalishvili is promising to settle the score. In an interview with The National published Thursday, the Georgian said he will reclaim the UFC bantamweight championship when he meets Petr Yan in their trilogy bout headlining UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi.

The pair sit at 1-1 after Yan took the rematch by unanimous decision. Dvalishvili accepted responsibility for the defeat, saying he fought "Yan's fight," was too relaxed after beating Yan before, and was handicapped by a rushed two-month turnaround between defences.

The loss ended Dvalishvili's 14-fight winning streak. He believes a full training camp will make him "much sharper" this time around — and says he plans an active 2027 with at least three appearances once the Yan chapter is closed.