Yan Plans Knockout Of Merab In UFC 333 Trilogy

Petr Yan says his first victory over Merab Dvalishvili was no accident and intends to prove it with a knockout when the two meet for the third time at UFC 333 next month in Abu Dhabi.

The bantamweight champion regained the 135-pound strap by beating Dvalishvili decisively at UFC 323 last December in Las Vegas, avenging his loss to the Georgian from March 2023. Yan told MMA Fighting he wants to show everyone the result was earned. "I think this time around, I want to prove myself and also to everybody else that [my first win] wasn't a fluke, that there was a reason for that," he said, per the outlet. "And hopefully this time, it's going to be a knockout."

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Yan Dismisses Bantamweight Contenders Ahead Of Trilogy

The Russian champion dismissed recent movement in the division, saying nothing has impressed him enough to warrant attention beyond the immediate rematch. He pointed to Song Yadong's knockout of Umar Nurmagomedov as an example, noting he already beat Song. "Same kind of people swirling around, so I'm happy to come out and fight everybody and beat everybody," Yan said.

The trilogy co-headlines UFC 333, assuming Yan can stay healthy long enough to defend the belt again. Dvalishvili has not publicly responded to Yan's knockout prediction.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — Petr Yan insists first win over Merab ‘wasn’t a fluke,’ plans for score-settling knockout in UFC 333 trilogy