Saturday’s fight at UFC 323 was a rematch of a March 2023 main event at a UFC Fight Night at the UFC Apex. That night, almost three years ago, Dvalishvili went the distance with Yan and came away on top after 25 minutes of action.
The final pay-per-view event of the year saw the all-time series between Merab Dvalishvili and Petr Yan tied at 1-1. With the calendar turning to 2026 in a few weeks, Dana White and his staff made it One aspect of the company’s plans for the new year is crystal clear: The UFC is already planning a third chapter of the story.
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Merab Dvalishvili vs. Petr Yan, Part III Coming in 2026
Merab Dvalishvili posted a video online in his native language and the video started making the rounds on social media earlier Tuesday. In it, he mentions that the UFC would like to book a third fight against Yan as soon as he is ready.
“The UFC contacted me and said, ‘Please rest as long as you want,’” Merab Dvalishvili began, translating from Georgian. “Your next fight is a rematch with Petr Yan for the title. Rest as long as you want and call us when you’re ready.”
“They probably want to fight in the summer, but I don’t want to wait until the summer,” he continued. “I want to schedule the fight early, maybe in the spring, in April it will be good, or maybe the fight can be scheduled in the summer.”
It’s not shocking that Merab Dvalishvili wants to return to the legendary Octagon as soon as possible. When the title fight happens, revenge will be on his mind.
The turnaround is Fair Play for Merab Dvalishvili
With the UFC ordering a possible trilogy fight between Merab Dvalishvili and Petr Yan if the former is willing to return, this is yet another example of the age-old adage: “Turnaround is fair game.” It’s already been fair game in this rivalry.
The first act of this story resulted in a victory for Merab Dvalishvili. From there, Petr Yan made it three wins in a row before winning the championship in the Enterprise last Saturday night.
Merab Dvalishvili had already shed a tear before last weekend’s card. Prior to UFC 323, he had won 14 fights in a row. In the video posted online, the ex-champ said he wasn’t that injured from the December 6 match.
“I repeat again: I did not suffer any serious injuries during this fight,” he said.
Merab Dvalishvili vs. Peter Yan III will be one of the most amazing fights of 2026
2025 still has three weeks to go. While official word on a booking for a trilogy fight between Merab Dvalishvili and Petr Yan will be a while off, make no mistake: this bout, if it does indeed happen, will be the main event on the card that night.
If the ESPN+ era of UFC coverage still existed in the new year, MMA fans across the United States of America would love to quote Phillip J. Fry from the animated series. Futurama and say, “Shut up and take my money.” Now that the UFC has moved its event schedule to Paramount Plus starting January 24 with UFC 324, they don’t have to worry about that anymore.
It could eventually become one of the UFC’s flagship shows simulcast on linear television via CBS. Since this is a trilogy fight we’re talking about here, this is a match that CBS might be interested in.
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