UFC 333 preview: Merab Dvalishvili’s road back to the Bantamweight Throne

Disclaimer: This article is intended for US audiences. 

Some rivalries are built on bad blood and years’ or decades’ long disputes. Others are built on unfinished business, mutual respect, and the knowledge that one fighter has figured out how to beat the other. This is especially true when the world’s most popular combat sports promotion is the one where it happens. At UFC 333 on October 24 in Abu Dhabi, Merab Dvalishvili and Petr Yan meet for the third time, with the UFC bantamweight championship and the direction of the division hanging in the balance.

For Dvalishvili, this is about much more than winning back a belt. The Georgian contender returns after ten months away, determined to prove that his defeat at UFC 323 at the hands of Yan was a setback rather than the beginning of a decline. For Yan, the trilogy offers a chance to establish that his latest victory was no coincidence and that he remains the man to beat at 135 pounds. As the co-main event, with the titular fight a coin toss and the latest UFC 333 odds out, this is shaping up to be one of the most memorable numbered events in recent memory. 

The Rivalry Reaches Its Peak

The rivalry has already produced two very different fights. In March 2023, Dvalishvili overwhelmed Yan with relentless wrestling and set a UFC record with 49 attempted takedowns in a unanimous decision victory. It was a remarkable demonstration of his conditioning, pressure, and ability to keep an elite opponent defending for five rounds.

The rematch at UFC 323 on December 6, 2025, told a different story. Yan defended the takedown far more effectively, landed punishing body shots, and prevented Dvalishvili from imposing his usual rhythm. The judges awarded Yan a unanimous decision, with scorecards of 49-46, 49-46, and 48-47.

That result ended Dvalishvili’s 14 fight winning streak, the fourth longest in UFC history, and brought his extraordinary championship run to a halt. That development made the third meeting particularly compelling. Dvalishvili knows his original approach can work, but Yan has demonstrated that he can also adapt. Whose mental game will prevail? 

The stakes extend beyond these two fighters and their third meeting. Song Yadong, who defeated Yan in 2024, is waiting for the winner. That gives this championship fight an additional storyline, connecting three elite bantamweights whose careers have repeatedly intersected. Dvalishvili has even said he backed Yan for a title opportunity after beating him, a reminder that their rivalry is competitive rather than simply personal. 

Rebuilding After Losing the Championship

Dvalishvili’s rise to the top was one of the UFC’s most remarkable modern championship stories. Born in Georgia, he became the first Georgian born UFC champion. He built his reputation through relentless pressure, exceptional conditioning, and wrestling that could overwhelm opponents who were otherwise technically complete fighters. There was no stopping him for a good, long while. 

His 2025 campaign represented the peak of that approach. At UFC 311 in January, he defeated Umar Nurmagomedov by unanimous decision, handing the highly regarded contender his first professional loss. In June, Dvalishvili defeated Sean O’Malley again at UFC 316, finishing the rematch with a north-south choke. Then, in October, he outworked Cory Sandhagen at UFC 320.

Three successful defences in a single year had already placed him among the division’s most accomplished champions. His December fight against Yan was his fourth title fight of 2025. A victory would have made him the first UFC champion to defend a title four times in one calendar year. Alas, it was not meant to be. 

Instead, Yan exposed a weakness in the champion’s familiar formula. Dvalishvili’s wrestling remained dangerous, but Yan’s takedown defence was the story of the fight. He also attacked the body consistently, making the challenger pay for the physical demands of his forward moving style.

Stake Interview and a Fun Mockumentary

In an exclusive Merab pre-fight interview with Stake, Dvalishvili discussed the ten-month break, his preparation, and his determination to return. The time away has not meant abandoning the habits that made him a champion. He has continued wrestling at RAF, keeping his skills sharp while rebuilding his training approach with a new group of sparring partners and coaches.

The central change is that he wants to train smarter rather than simply harder. Dvalishvili has never lacked work ethic or stamina. The challenge is to turn that effort into a more effective performance against an opponent who has already demonstrated that he can neutralise his wrestling. His intentions for the trilogy are unmistakably aggressive. “I want to keep it simple, I want to break his face and try to knock him out.”

It is a striking departure in emphasis for a fighter whose greatest victories have often come through sustained pressure and decision making over five rounds. Dvalishvili is not suggesting that he will abandon wrestling. Instead, he wants to create more opportunities to hurt Yan and finish the fight, rather than allow the contest to become another battle of attrition. “I know I’m better than Yan, but he beat me on the day.”

That is the mindset of a former champion who accepts the result without accepting that it defines him. Yan executed his plan better in December, and Dvalishvili knows that confidence alone will not reverse the outcome. His new preparation must translate into different answers inside the Octagon. Asked about the hardest part of his routine, Dvalishvili has pointed to the weight cut, rather than the training itself. It is a reminder that his exceptional work rate remains central to his identity, even as he tries to refine the way he prepares.

In preparation for the fight, Dvalishvili partnered with Stake, his long-time partner for whom he plays the role of sports ambassador, for a fun mockumentary. Filled with comedy, he takes over the camera from the crew and takes the viewers through a step-by-step preparation for an important championship bout. He is jogging, training, and messing around while talking to the audience and teaching them about the sport and what it takes to be a true professional. Sporting a Stake tracksuit, he stars in the nearly 7-minute-long video and actually makes a case for an acting/comedian career! 

The Man Behind the Octagon

Before reaching the UFC’s summit, Merab worked in construction while pursuing his ambitions in mixed martial arts. His journey from physically demanding day jobs to championship main events has helped make him one of the sport’s most likeable figures, and fans hoping to see him back on top can support him through the Merab Stake Promotion. 

He also stands out for his connection to Georgian wrestling and grappling. After winning the championship, he donated his title bonus to support Georgian grappling. He used his success to invest in the community and sporting culture that helped shape him. For a country with a proud combat-sports tradition, his achievements have carried significance beyond one athlete’s career.

His personality is another part of the story. Dvalishvili is known for his enthusiasm, humour and openness with fans, qualities that contrast with the intimidating intensity he brings to competition. His ambitions are equally expansive. He has spoken about wanting to fight until he is 50, a declaration that reflects his love of training and competing as much as his confidence in his longevity. 

He has also made clear that a victory over Yan would leave him eager to face Song Yadong next. Song’s own victory over Yan in 2024 gives that potential matchup an especially interesting history, and the winner of UFC 333 could emerge with a natural next challenger already waiting.

Dvalishvili is a global sports ambassador for Stake, which describes him as one of its leading UFC representatives. Stake is also a proud official betting partner of the UFC, so the three sides have frequent collaborations and promotions. That relationship provides the setting for the exclusive interview in which Dvalishvili has explained how he is rebuilding, what he learned from defeat, and why he believes the trilogy will be different.

Volkanovski vs Evloev is a Title Fight on a Knife Edge

While Dvalishvili’s return provides the emotional centre of UFC 333, the headline attraction is Alexander Volkanovski versus Movsar Evloev for the featherweight championship. The matchup is remarkably difficult to call, with the UFC official betting partner platform pricing Volkanovski at 1.88 and Evloev at 1.90. Those near identical numbers reflect a genuine clash of strengths rather than an obvious favourite.

Volkanovski enters with a 28-4 professional record and the ambition to strengthen his claim as the greatest featherweight in UFC history. The Australian has spent years establishing himself as one of the most technically complete fighters in the sport. He combines intelligent distance management, sharp combinations, defensive wrestling, and the ability to adjust his tactics over five rounds.

His legacy is already exceptional, but the competition for the greatest featherweight title remains fierce. José Aldo’s historic championship reign is the goal, and Volkanovski wants to push beyond it. His victory over Diego Lopes at UFC 325 restored him to the top of the division after consecutive knockout defeats, demonstrating that he remains capable of competing at the highest level.

Evloev is a different kind of challenge. The Russian arrives with a perfect 20-0 professional record built on disciplined grappling, control, and tactical consistency. His victory over Lerone Murphy earned him the opportunity to challenge for the belt, but his unbeaten status comes with a qualification worth considering. His most recent win was a contested majority decision in which a point deduction affected the scoring.

That does not erase his accomplishments, but it makes the distinction between an undefeated record and an unquestionably dominant run important. Evloev has yet to lose professionally, although his ability to turn close contests into victories will be tested against a champion with Volkanovski’s experience.

The tactical question is whether Evloev can make the fight a grappling contest on his terms. Volkanovski has repeatedly shown that he can defend takedowns, regain his feet, and punish opponents who become predictable. Evloev must avoid giving the Australian too much space to establish his striking combinations. The odds suggest that neither man’s path to victory is clearly superior. A close fight would hardly be surprising.

The Rest of the UFC 333 Card

The two championship contests headline an event at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, with preliminary action scheduled ahead of the main card. The featherweight and bantamweight title fights offer different but complementary attractions. One asks whether an established great can extend his legacy against an unbeaten contender. The other wonders if a former champion can solve the opponent who recently dethroned him.

The early prelims include bantamweights Colby Thicknesse and Asaf Chopurov, a matchup that offers both men an opportunity to make an impression on a major international card. Middleweights Abubakar Vagaev and Jacob Malkoun are also scheduled to compete, adding another contest in a division where physicality and finishing ability can quickly change the complexion of a fight.

The supporting bouts provide a useful counterpoint to the championship pressure. For emerging fighters, an event of this scale offers exposure to a global audience and the chance to turn a strong performance into greater opportunities. For established contenders, the stakes are often more immediate: a convincing victory can help establish a position in a crowded division.

Abu Dhabi is UFC’s Second Home

Abu Dhabi has become one of the UFC’s most important international destinations. The promotion’s relationship with the emirate developed over years of major events, beginning with UFC 112 in 2010 and expanding through UFC 242 in 2019, when Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated Dustin Poirier in front of a packed crowd on Yas Island.

The partnership became even more significant in 2020, when the pandemic era Fight Island events gave the UFC a venue capable of hosting international competition under exceptional circumstances. Yas Island became synonymous with major fights, and the purpose built Etihad Arena subsequently provided a regular home for high profile cards.

That history gives UFC 333 an atmosphere and context beyond the individual matchups. Abu Dhabi is a very popular location selected for numerous international sporting events. However, it is now also a destination with a recognised place in the MMA promotion’s calendar, with proven infrastructure and a history of hosting championship fights.

For Dvalishvili, the setting also suits the international character of his story. The first Georgian born UFC champion is returning to challenge for a title against a Russian rival, while Volkanovski and Evloev bring another international rivalry to the main event. The card is built around fighters whose achievements have carried them far beyond their home countries, so where better to meet than the emirate that flourishes from international exposure?

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