Merab heads into UFC 333 with a broken, unrepaired nose
He broke it in two places in April and turned down surgery to avoid a year out. His coach is already warning that Yan will target it.
By Equipo La Jaula Props · · 1 min read
Photos: Margo Martin, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons, cropped)
Merab Dvalishvili is not entering the Petr Yan trilogy in perfect physical shape. In April 2026 he took a knee during sparring and broke his nose in two places, as he revealed himself on social media, where he shared the X-rays.
The decision: no surgery
After seeing a surgeon, he was told that fixing it would mean re-breaking other bones and that a full recovery would take about a year. Dvalishvili chose not to have surgery to avoid a long layoff and joked that his nose would end up even more crooked. He also admitted he can't breathe properly through one side.
It's not the first time: the Georgian had already broken his nose more than a decade ago. According to his camp, the injury was later aggravated in a wrestling session with former champion Frankie Edgar.
His coach's concern
Ray Longo, his head coach at the Serra-Longo gym, admitted ahead of UFC 333 that the nose is still unrepaired and that he expects Yan to target it, with the bleeding risk that comes with it.
How much could it matter?
In a five-round fight against one of the division's best boxers, trouble breathing and bleeding could be factors. Dvalishvili's style depends on an extremely high pace and extraordinary cardio — exactly what a damaged nose can compromise. He, for his part, says he feels better than ever.
