Petr Yan: "I'll break his nose again" before Dvalishvili trilogy at UFC 333
The bantamweight champion says Dvalishvili's 30 to 40 takedown attempts got him nothing last time.
Petr Yan used the UFC 333 press conference in Abu Dhabi to lay out his plan for the third fight with Merab Dvalishvili. He said he always follows his team's game plan, which is to break his opponent down methodically, "surgically", but that he will take a knockout if one comes, Meta MMA reported on 22 October.
Then came the line that made the Russian headlines: "I'll break his nose again." Yan pointed to their December fight, saying Dvalishvili tried 30 to 40 takedowns and none of them worked, and predicted that clinging to his shorts would not work this time either.
The rivalry stands at one win each. Dvalishvili won the first fight by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 221 in March 2023. Yan took the rematch, also by unanimous decision, at UFC 323 in Las Vegas in December 2025 and became champion. Yan is 20-5 and Dvalishvili 21-5.
Sport-Express described the exchange as another round of threats between the two. Dvalishvili kept his message short, telling The National: "I can beat him this time." Both men weighed 135 lb on Friday, and the fight is the co-main event at Etihad Arena on Saturday 24 October.
UFC 333: Volkanovski vs EvloevSat 24 Oct · Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi See ticketsSource: Meta MMA (Metaratings), Sport-Express, The National
