UFC Tells Merab Dvalishvili to Rest Up: His Next Fight Is a Title Rematch with Petr Yan
Merab Dvalishvili has said that despite his title loss at UFC 323, the promotion has assured him a title rematch whenever he competes next.
Dvalishvili’s fourth defense of the bantamweight strap in a year and his attempt to be the first one to do so in 12 months were not fulfilled, as Petr Yan played spoiler with a standout performance in the rematch.
At UFC 323, in addition to winning the striking battle vs. Dvalishvili, Yan also matched Dvalishvili’s speed, stopped takedowns, and took him down. In the end, ‘No Mercy’ cruised to a unanimous decision victory and ruined the Georgian’s plans.
Accepting the defeat as champion, Dvalishvili assured the crowd that he intended to give them an entertaining fight rather than just wrestle and grapple. ‘The Machine’ wants to run it back, and he voiced the same during the octagon interview.
It was Merab Dvalishvili’s fourth title fight in only a year, and he took a ton of damage at UFC 323. Frequent activity could have been extremely draining, and as a result, he was perhaps unable to give his best this past weekend.
However, ‘The Machine’ is eager to return and run it back to get his lost UFC gold. He told MMA Pros Pick:
“The UFC contacted me and said, ‘Please rest as long as you want, your next fight is a rematch with Petr Yan for the belt. Rest as long as you want and call us when you’re ready.”
Check out Merab Dvalishvili’s comments below:
Petr Yan Says Merab Dvalishvili Is One of the Few Champions Who Truly Deserve a Rematch
After becoming a two-time UFC bantamweight champion at UFC 323, Petr Yan said that he does not want to run it back with Merab Dvalishvili right away, and the latter must win fights before getting a title rematch.
However, Yan later recanted his statements and lauded ‘The Machine,’ saying:
“I think he’s one of those guys who actually deserves any rematch.”
Check out Petr Yan’s comments below:
The pair are currently 1-1, and this potential title rematch will complete their trilogy.
