Yan vs. Dvalishvili 3: the 20th trilogy in UFC history
Yan says he has figured out his rival; Dvalishvili admits mistakes in the rematch and insists age is just a number. With the series at 1-1, Saturday decides it.
By Equipo La Jaula Props · · 1 min read
The UFC 333 co-main event will be the 20th trilogy in company history. Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili have already shared ten rounds: Dvalishvili won the first fight by unanimous decision in March 2023, and Yan took the rematch at UFC 323 in December 2025, also by unanimous decision, to regain the bantamweight title.
Yan: 'I've figured him out'
The champion is convinced his last performance is the blueprint. Yan said he has studied his rival thoroughly, expects to repeat the same kind of win and might even show tools not seen in their first two meetings.
Dvalishvili: self-criticism and unfinished business
The Georgian admitted he was not mentally ready for the December rematch, that his team underestimated Yan and that he couldn't execute his wrestling game plan. He also regretted accepting that fight with only two months to prepare, though he defended it as part of how he approaches the sport.
At 35, Dvalishvili rejects the idea that age is a problem, pointing to Volkanovski and Randy Couture. A win would make him the oldest bantamweight champion in UFC history. He says he prepared for this fight thinking only about Yan, with new striking tools.
Trilogies for the history books
Yan and Dvalishvili join a list that includes Liddell-Couture, St-Pierre-Hughes, Velasquez-Dos Santos, Miocic-Cormier, Poirier-McGregor and Volkanovski-Holloway, the only one of those that ended 3-0.
