Merab Dvalishvili, who faces champion Petr Yan at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi, says he would fight Song Yadong in November if he wins.
From 4 reports by 4 outlets
What we know
- Dvalishvili challenges champion Petr Yan for the UFC bantamweight title in the UFC 333 co-main event in Abu Dhabi on October 24
- Dvalishvili lost the bantamweight title to Yan in December after four fights in 2025 and has not fought since
- UFC 334 takes place next month, in November
Reported, not confirmed
- Dvalishvili is a +135 underdog against Yan, who is a -160 favorite HEAVY
- Song Yadong is ranked No. 2 at bantamweight and finished Deiveson Figueiredo and Umar Nurmagomedov in his most recent fights Blood & Sweat
Merab Dvalishvili goes into his trilogy bout with Petr Yan already planning a fast return. At fight week in Abu Dhabi he said he does not regret his four-fight 2025, even though that workload became the main talking point after he lost the belt to Yan in December. According to HEAVY, he admitted to fatigue after that loss, and it is why he took 10 months off before this fight.
If he wins back the title, Dvalishvili wants to stay busy and named Song Yadong as his next challenger, potentially at UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden in November. The one exception is Yan: he said he needs more time to prepare for his rival and would not take another fight against him two months after a defense.
Song is in Abu Dhabi for fight week, which raises the chance of a post-fight face-off. Dvalishvili backed the idea of the UFC bringing Song into the Octagon if he wins, saying "I think he's next, that's a no-brainer."
If he wins back the title, Dvalishvili wants to stay busy and named Song Yadong as his next challenger, potentially at UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden in November. The one exception is Yan: he said he needs more time to prepare for his rival and would not take another fight against him two months after a defense.
Song is in Abu Dhabi for fight week, which raises the chance of a post-fight face-off. Dvalishvili backed the idea of the UFC bringing Song into the Octagon if he wins, saying "I think he's next, that's a no-brainer."
- Summary
- Merab Dvalishvili, who faces champion Petr Yan at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi, says he would fight Song Yadong in November if he wins.
- Key points (one per line)
- Dvalishvili challenges Petr Yan for the UFC bantamweight title in the UFC 333 co-main event in Abu Dhabi
He says he would face Song Yadong at UFC 334 in November if he wins
He would not accept another quick turnaround against Yan
Dvalishvili does not regret fighting four times in 2025
- Also reported by (Name | URL per line)
- Bloody Elbow | https://bloodyelbow.com/2026/10/23/merab-dvalishvili-willing-to-fight-again-next-month-with-one-exception-following-petr-yan-loss/
Yahoo Sports MMA / Uncrowned | https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/merab-dvalishvili-wants-fight-song-043745816.html
Blood & Sweat | https://www.bloodandsweat.ru/2026/10/merab-dvalishvili-gotov-podratsya-s-yadongom-songom-v-noyabre/
BJPenn.com | https://www.bjpenn.com/mma-news/merab-dvalishvili/merab-dvalishvili-is-open-to-defending-against-song-yadong-if-he-wins-at-ufc-333/
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Fighters in this story
Merab Dvalishvili
Petr YanSources
Summarized with AI from the sources above. Read the originals for the full story.
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