RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili will conclude their trilogy in the UFC 333 co-main event.
After splitting results over their first two meetings, the rubber match between reigning bantamweight champion Yan (20-5 MMA, 12-4 UFC) and former titleholder Dvalishvili (21-2 MMA, 14-3 UFC) is official for the Oct. 24 fight card at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi ( Paramount+ ).
The bout was announced during Saturday's UFC 330 broadcast.
Yan, No. 1 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie bantamweight rankings , reunited with the belt in December when he outworked Dvalishvili to a unanimous decision at UFC 323. It was a redemptive performance from the Russian, who suffered a lopsided loss on the scorecards in the first matchup in March 2023.
The 32-year-old first became champion in July 2020, but lost it in his first defense when he landed an illegal knee on Aljamain Sterling that led to him being disqualified . Yan's subsequent years included a three-fight losing skid, but he's rebounded with four in a row to become a two-time champ.
No. 2-ranked Dvalishvili will attempt to prevent Yan from getting a title defense in this reign and show that he was not his best self at UFC 323. Prior to the rematch defeat, the 35-year-old has won 14 consecutive bout, including three title defenses in 2025.
There were questions about whether Dvalishvili's attempt at record-setting championship activity played a role in his loss to Yan in the rematch, and now he gets a chance to come out ahead in the rivalry.
The latest UFC 333 lineup includes:
Alexander Volkanovski vs. Movsar Evloev – for featherweight title
Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili – for bantamweight title
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili title trilogy fight co-headlines UFC 333
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