Merab Dvalishvili has no fight booked yet: on October 26, 2 days after losing to Petr Yan at UFC 333, he wrote on X that he is healthy, motivated and will be back soon, without giving a date or an opponent. The former bantamweight champion is now 21-6 and has lost 2 times in a row to Yan. A title fight is no longer the obvious next step.
Key takeaways
- Merab Dvalishvili wrote on X on October 26 that he is "healthy and motivated" and will "be back soon". He gave no date and no opponent.
- At UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi, he won rounds 1 and 2 but lost to Petr Yan 48-47 on all 3 cards. It is his 2nd straight loss to Yan.
- Before the fight he named Song Yadong as a possible opponent. The 2 men have never fought, and the UFC has announced nothing.
Merab Dvalishvili's return: what he said
The message on X
On October 26, Dvalishvili posted a long thank you on X. He thanked God, his cornermen, his training partners in Las Vegas and in New York, the UFC, his family and his fans, according to MMA Junkie and MiddleEasy.
The key line
He ended with this: “I am healthy and motivated and will be back soon!” No injury was mentioned in the post, and none has been reported since the fight.
What it does not say
The message names no event, no opponent and no date. As MiddleEasy notes, it is neither a medical clearance nor a booking. As of Tuesday, the UFC had made no announcement.
What the loss to Petr Yan changes
The fight
On Saturday, October 24, at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, Dvalishvili took rounds 1 and 2 with his wrestling. Yan took over from round 3 and won the last 3 rounds on every card, for 3 scores of 48-47.
A trilogy for Yan
Dvalishvili won their 1st fight in 2023. Yan took the belt from him at UFC 323 in December 2025, then kept it at UFC 333. The series ends 2 to one for Yan. The fight earned the 2 men Fight of the Night, worth 100,000 dollars each, according to Sherdog.
The record
Dvalishvili, 35, moves to 21-6. Yan is 21-5. After 2 losses to the champion, a 4th fight between them is not on the table for now.
I am healthy and motivated and will be back soon! This Machine never breaks!
Who could Merab Dvalishvili face next?
Song Yadong
Before UFC 333, Dvalishvili said he was open to facing Song Yadong if he won. He lost, but the 2 men have still never met, as SI points out. Song is also a name Yan mentioned as a possible challenger.
A busy pace
Dvalishvili fought 4 title fights in 2025, with 3 defenses against Umar Nurmagomedov, Sean O’Malley and Cory Sandhagen, then the loss to Yan in December. He then waited 10 months for the trilogy.
Follow his return
Merab Dvalishvili and Petr Yan have their profile, record and rating in the FightHub app.
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