Petr Yan defends his UFC bantamweight title against Merab Dvalishvili on October 24 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, settling a rivalry that has gone back and forth since 2023. The fight headlines a two-title card alongside Alexander Volkanovski‘s featherweight defense against Movsar Evloev. Dvalishvili, who lost the belt to Yan last December after beating him in their first meeting, has now given his clearest account yet of what happened the second time around, speaking to UFC on Paramount.
“I knew I wasn’t going to win”
Dvalishvili said he felt the fight slip away almost immediately. “In ten seconds, all my energy was gone,” he said of an early exchange that disrupted his rhythm. “I realized I wasn’t going to win this fight starting in the second round,” he added. The fight, held December 6, 2025 at UFC 323, went to a unanimous decision for Yan across five rounds, ending Dvalishvili’s run as champion. Until that night, Dvalishvili had built his reign on a volume of takedowns and a pace few opponents could match over 25 minutes.
The number behind the loss
One statistic explains most of what happened: Yan stopped 27 of Dvalishvili’s 29 takedown attempts that night, shutting down the exact weapon Dvalishvili’s title reign was built on. Dvalishvili does not dispute it. His wrestling was neutralized for four and a half rounds, and Yan also got the better of the striking exchanges, using his jab and footwork to wear his opponent down over the distance. The two had met once before, in March 2023 at UFC Fight Night 221, where Dvalishvili won a unanimous decision behind a heavy pace and repeated takedowns. The series now sits level, with each man having found a way to shut down the other’s game plan over five rounds.
A rematch that became a trilogy
Dvalishvili asked for an immediate rematch as soon as the loss was official. The UFC built one of UFC 333’s two title fights around that request, pairing it with Volkanovski’s featherweight title defense against the unbeaten Evloev. Yan (20-5) puts his belt on the line against Dvalishvili (21-5), who is treating this as his last shot in a rivalry that began more than three years ago. The card also features Aaron Pico against Losene Keita at featherweight, Alexander Volkov against Rizvan Kuniev at heavyweight, and Lone’er Kavanagh against Ramazan Temirov at flyweight.
A loaded card in Abu Dhabi
Two title fights on the same night makes UFC 333 one of the heaviest cards left on the 2026 schedule. Volkanovski, a former three-time featherweight champion, defends against Evloev, who remains unbeaten since turning pro and has waited months for this title shot after the UFC spent weeks finalizing the matchup. Etihad Arena on Yas Island has already hosted several major UFC cards, and it does so again for a rare two-belt lineup that gives American fans two complete title fights to stream in one PPV window.
Start times and how to watch
UFC 333’s main card starts at 2 p.m. ET, which is 11 a.m. PT, 7 p.m. in the United Kingdom and 8 p.m. in Central Europe on October 24, with prelims two hours earlier and early prelims two hours before that. The entire card, including early prelims, streams on Paramount+, with early prelims also available on UFC Fight Pass. The full 2026 schedule is available on the UFC schedule page, and updated bantamweight rankings can be found in the UFC rankings.
What is on the line
Another loss to Yan would settle the rivalry decisively in the Russian’s favor, extending his win streak to five. A Dvalishvili win would reopen a trilogy that has run more than three years and hand him back the belt he lost in December. Dvalishvili has said he will approach this fight differently, though he has not detailed what he is changing in his preparation. His camp has pointed to a separate factor from the second fight: the UFC 323 co-main event between Alexandre Pantoja and his opponent ended at just 0:26 of the first round on an arm injury, cutting short Dvalishvili’s usual warmup before he walked out, something Dvalishvili himself has not cited as an excuse. Yan has not detailed his camp for the trilogy, but he enters off four straight wins, the longest active streak in the division. For a division that has not had a settled number one in years, a clean result at UFC 333 would finally answer the question both camps have been arguing since 2023.
