Dana White reportedly confirmed the UFC is eyeing Georgia for a 2027 event, its first there; Merab Dvalishvili then lost to Petr Yan at UFC 333, and nothing is announced.
What we know
- The UFC has not officially announced any event in Georgia.
- Merab Dvalishvili is the first Georgian-born champion in UFC history and a former bantamweight titleholder.
- Dvalishvili was fighting for the first time since December 6, 2025, when he met Petr Yan at UFC 333 on October 24 in Abu Dhabi.
Reported, not confirmed
-
Dana White reportedly confirmed the UFC is eyeing Georgia for a 2027 event, which would be its first in the country; no quote, date or venue is available.
Knockout Daily
The UFC wants a first card in Georgia, and the timing of the report was tied to Merab Dvalishvili's fight night. According to Knockout Daily, which cites a news outlet in neighboring Azerbaijan, Dana White confirmed the promotion is eyeing the country for 2027. Only the report's headline was available, so there is no direct quote, date or venue.
The draw is Dvalishvili, the first Georgian-born champion in UFC history. Born in the village of Vani, he is 35 and fights out of the Serra-Longo Fight Team. He opened his UFC run 0-2, then won 14 straight, a streak Knockout Daily calls the fourth-longest in UFC history. Along the way he beat José Aldo, Petr Yan, Henry Cejudo and Sean O'Malley.
The report came out as he went into the trilogy with Yan at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi, his first fight since December 6, 2025. Knockout Daily framed the night as a test of whether a Georgian debut would have a homecoming champion to build around. It did not go his way: Yan beat him by unanimous decision and kept his belt.
That makes the business case less tidy. Knockout Daily argued before the fight that a Georgia card sells itself if Dvalishvili leaves with his hand raised and a path back to the title, and is harder to headline if Yan wins. Dvalishvili remains a durable draw, holding the Octagon record for takedowns at 119 by Knockout Daily's count, and a Georgian star would still anchor a card there.
Watch for an official announcement with a city and date, and for where the UFC places Dvalishvili next. Until then the Georgia plan rests on one secondhand report.
The draw is Dvalishvili, the first Georgian-born champion in UFC history. Born in the village of Vani, he is 35 and fights out of the Serra-Longo Fight Team. He opened his UFC run 0-2, then won 14 straight, a streak Knockout Daily calls the fourth-longest in UFC history. Along the way he beat José Aldo, Petr Yan, Henry Cejudo and Sean O'Malley.
The report came out as he went into the trilogy with Yan at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi, his first fight since December 6, 2025. Knockout Daily framed the night as a test of whether a Georgian debut would have a homecoming champion to build around. It did not go his way: Yan beat him by unanimous decision and kept his belt.
That makes the business case less tidy. Knockout Daily argued before the fight that a Georgia card sells itself if Dvalishvili leaves with his hand raised and a path back to the title, and is harder to headline if Yan wins. Dvalishvili remains a durable draw, holding the Octagon record for takedowns at 119 by Knockout Daily's count, and a Georgian star would still anchor a card there.
Watch for an official announcement with a city and date, and for where the UFC places Dvalishvili next. Until then the Georgia plan rests on one secondhand report.
- Summary
- Dana White reportedly confirmed the UFC is eyeing Georgia for a 2027 event, its first there; Merab Dvalishvili then lost to Petr Yan at UFC 333, and nothing is announced.
- Key points (one per line)
- An Azerbaijani outlet reported, via Knockout Daily, that Dana White confirmed UFC interest in a 2027 Georgia event.
No date, venue or direct White quote is available, and the UFC has announced nothing.
Merab Dvalishvili, the first Georgian-born UFC champion, lost to Petr Yan by unanimous decision at UFC 333.
- Also reported by (Name | URL per line)
- Knockout Daily | https://knockoutdaily.com/news/dana-white-confirms-ufc-wants-georgia-in-2027-as-merab-fights-petr-yan-tonight
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Fighters in this story
Merab Dvalishvili
Alexander Volkanovski
Alexander Volkov
Movsar Evloev
Petr Yan
Sean O'MalleySources
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