Merab Dvalishvili has his next opponent picked out if he regains the UFC bantamweight title.
First, Dvalishvili must get past Petr Yan (20-5) in their trilogy bout for the belt. The fight is the co-main event of UFC 333 on October 24 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
The two have split two fights. Dvalishvili won the first by unanimous decision in March 2023. Yan took the rematch and the title by unanimous decision at UFC 323 in December.
Dvalishvili told MMA Junkie that winning matters more to him than the belt.
No. 1, I’m focusing on Yan, and I want to win this fight. More than the belt, I just want to win against my next opponent.
He said the title will follow if he beats Yan.
The belt will come automatically, and then the belt – it’s good, but it’s not the main thing for me. I just want to win against the best guy, which is Petr Yan.
Dvalishvili, 35, hasn’t fought in MMA since the loss at UFC 323. He fought four title fights in 2025, beating Umar Nurmagomedov, Sean O’Malley and Cory Sandhagen before losing to Yan.
If he wins, he wants Song Yadong next.
If I win, Song Yadong is next. Because we never fought each other, he’s dangerous, and we always know he has knockout power.
He also has a pick if Yan keeps the belt.
If Petr Yan wins, then Sean O’Malley, because they have a history. It’s simple this time who’s gonna be next for each other, but I think Song Yadong has to get ready.
Yan and O’Malley met at UFC 280 in October 2022, with O’Malley winning a split decision.
Song has won two straight, both in the second round. He submitted Deiveson Figueiredo in May and knocked out Umar Nurmagomedov in August. He has never fought for a UFC title.
