Yan vs Dvalishvili 3: back surgery, a broken nose and a 10-month wait
Why the bantamweight trilogy took until UFC 333 to happen, and what the injuries and layoff mean for Saturday in Abu Dhabi.
Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili have waited the best part of a year for their third fight. Yan took the bantamweight title from Dvalishvili at UFC 323 in Las Vegas on 6 December 2025, and LowKick MMA reported in September that the trilogy was delayed because Yan had lower back surgery earlier in 2026.
Dvalishvili has been carrying his own injury. According to the same report, he broke his nose in two places while sparring a few months earlier and had trouble breathing. Doctors told him he needs reconstructive surgery that would keep him out for about a year, so he plans to have it once he retires. Yan responded with a warning, relayed by UFC Eurasia, telling him to "get good insurance for your nose".
The layoff is part of the story too. CBS Sports notes that Dvalishvili returns after 10 months out, and asks whether Yan has solved his style. In their 2023 meeting, Dvalishvili took Yan down 11 times. In the rematch, Yan scored five takedowns of his own, the most Dvalishvili has allowed in a UFC fight.
Yan goes into Saturday as the betting favourite, Heavy reported on 16 October. Dvalishvili says beating Yan matters more to him than the belt itself, and that if Yan wins he would want Sean O'Malley next.
The trilogy is the co-main event of UFC 333 at Etihad Arena on Saturday 24 October, ahead of Alexander Volkanovski against Movsar Evloev. The main card starts around 10pm UAE time.
UFC 333: Volkanovski vs EvloevSat 24 Oct · Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi See ticketsSource: LowKick MMA, CBS Sports, Heavy
