Merab Dvalishvili Next Fight: Dvalishvili vs. Yan on October 24

Next fight: Dvalishvili vs. Yan

Merab Dvalishvili (14-3) meets Petr Yan (12-4) on Saturday, October 24, 2026, in the co-main event of UFC 333: Volkanovski vs. Evloev, for the bantamweight title. They have met twice before: Dvalishvili beat Yan at UFC Fight Night: Yan vs. Dvalishvili (March 2023) and Dvalishvili lost to Yan at UFC 323: Dvalishvili vs. Yan 2 (December 2025).

How the fight looks

Dvalishvili is a pressure wrestler; Yan is a striker who mixes in takedowns. The fight turns on the wrestling. Dvalishvili wants it on the mat; Yan wants it standing, though Dvalishvili has had the better of the exchanges there too. With Yan stopping 86% of takedowns, Dvalishvili may have to win long stretches on the feet.

• On the feet: Dvalishvili lands 4.7 significant strikes a minute and absorbs 3.2; Yan lands 5.0 and absorbs 4.6. The output is close, and Dvalishvili wins the exchanges by the wider margin.
• On the mat: Dvalishvili averages 5.0 takedowns per 15 minutes at 30% and spends 30% of fight time in control. Yan stops 86% of takedowns.
• On the mat: Yan averages 1.7 takedowns per 15 minutes at 48% and spends 16% of fight time in control. Dvalishvili stops 75% of takedowns.
• Five rounds: Dvalishvili has been past round three 5 times in the UFC, Yan 7 times.

Our pick

Dvalishvili by decision. 12 of Dvalishvili's 14 UFC wins went to the scorecards, and Yan has never been finished in the UFC. MMA.SOCIAL's rating has Dvalishvili at 1,342 and Yan at 1,311, 54% for Dvalishvili. On style, Dvalishvili has the edge both ways: a strike differential (significant strikes landed minus absorbed) of +1.5 a minute to Yan's +0.4, and 0.7 expected takedowns per 15 minutes against Yan's defence, to 0.4 the other way. With the styles in: Dvalishvili 60%.

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Last fight

Dvalishvili lost to Petr Yan by unanimous decision at UFC 323: Dvalishvili vs. Yan 2 on December 6, 2025. Round-by-round stats.

Dvalishvili's last 5 fights

Where Dvalishvili stands

• UFC record: 14-3 - 1 by KO/TKO, 1 by submission, and 12 by decision.
• Current run: a 1-fight losing streak.
• MMA.SOCIAL rating: 1,342, No. 1 among active bantamweights.

Merab Dvalishvili's full profile and fight record