Merab Dvalishvili isn’t concerned about losing out on a UFC title rematch.
Dvalishvili lost the UFC Bantamweight Championship in his second meeting with Petr Yan back in Dec. 2025. “The Machine” dropped a unanimous decision to Yan. Dvalishvili has been calling for a trilogy fight, but Yan underwent lumbar surgery earlier this year.
Dvalishvili defeated Frankie Edgar in a RAF 9 match this past Saturday and spoke to media members in the aftermath. The former UFC bantamweight titleholder reacted to the possibility that the winner of Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi could surpass him as the next 135-pound contender.
“The Machine” doesn’t sound too worried about that idea (via MMAJunkie).
“UFC told me there are no interim belts in this weight class,” Dvalishvili said. “Nothing else. It doesn’t matter if Sean wins or Zahabi wins. I’m fighting Yan. I think Yan is the best guy. Right now, he beat me – and I want to fight the best guy. That’s why I always wanted to take the best guys who deserve it. … Now, it’s been many months and he’s taking his time. So I think everybody wants to see this trilogy fight. It’s going to be good.”
Dvalishvili had been riding a 14-fight winning streak before his loss to Yan. In that streak, he defeated the likes of O’Malley, Cory Sandhagen, Henry Cejudo, Jose Aldo, and Yan in their first encounter.
There is currently no word on when Yan will be ready to compete again. Dvalishvili said he’s hoping the trilogy can happen in the summer. He said that he’ll even wait until September, but he wants a more definitive answer soon.
Do you think Merab Dvalishvili’s trilogy fight with Petr Yan is safe, or could the winner of Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi cut the line? Join in on the conversation in the comments below.
