UFC Hall of Famer Shares Advice for Merab Dvalishvili and It Does Not Involve Petr Yan
A UFC Hall of Famer thinks Merab Dvalishvili should not enter the octagon early in 2026. Dvalishvili, who has been nominated as Fighter of the Year by major MMA outlets, successfully defended his UFC bantamweight gold three times in 2025 against notable opponents Umar Nurmagomedov, Sean O’Malley, and Cory Sandhagen.
In December at UFC 323, ‘The Machine’ wanted to create history by successfully defending his belt four times in one year.
He took on Petr Yan in a rematch and lost by unanimous decision. It just wasn’t the Georgian’s night in the Octagon. He stayed true to his style and fought the way he always does, but on this occasion, Yan was simply the superior fighter.
Dvalishvili wants to run it back and finish his trilogy with Yan, which is now tied at 1-1. He’s already back in the gym and is prepping to recover his lost glory.
Michael Bisping wants Merab Dvalishvili to take a six-month break from fighting
Michael Bisping thinks Merab Dvalishvili needs to take some time away from the octagon. On the JAXXON Podcast, he suggested Dvalishvili take a 6-month break from fighting and let Yan fight Umar Nurmagomedov in the meantime. When Dvalishvili returns, he can fight the winner of Yan vs. Umar.
‘The Count’ said:
“I think if Merab takes a good break, takes some time off, maybe six months, let [Petr] Yan fight Umar Nurmagomedov and then come back and fight the winner. Taking six months away, enjoying the spoils of his riches, and enjoying his hard work. Go to Georgia. Spend time with family. Eat some food. Think about nothing. Don’t think about fighting.”
Check out Michael Bisping’s comments below (1:02:06):
Umar Nurmagomedov, who lost to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 311, returned to winning ways against Mario Bautista at UFC 321. The Russian fighter is slated to fight Deiveson Figueiredo next at UFC 324. Umar plans to breeze past Figueiredo and then fight for the title.
On the other hand, former champion Sean O’Malley has also shown interest in fighting current and two-time UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan. ‘Suga’ wants to lock horns with ‘No Mercy’ on June 14, when the promotion heads to the South Lawn of the White House.
