Merab Dvalishvili isn’t afraid of losing or burning himself out with a hectic schedule of title defenses.
The UFC bantamweight champion will set a promotional record when he steps into the octagon for the fourth time in a calendar year at UFC 323 on Dec. 6 to rematch Petr Yan. Dvalishvili (21-4 MMA, 14-2 UFC) defeated Yan (19-5 MMA, 11-4 UFC) by unanimous decision in their first meeting, winning every round on the judges’ scorecards in the main event of UFC Fight Night 221.
The next outing for Dvalishvili was announced Monday by UFC CEO Dana White, just over a week after his most recent title defense against Cory Sandhagen in the co-feature of UFC 320. Not only is Dvalishvili eager to mix it up with Yan again in the final pay-per-view of the year, he’s already planning the start of his 2026 run.
“It’s gonna be a good fight,” Dvalishvili said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “He’s a former champion. He has a lot of wins in the UFC. It’s gonna be a fun fight, and I’m taking quick turnaround. It’s good, I’m busy, and I’m willing to fight also in March. February will be in Australia, I don’t think they gonna give me this. In March would be realistically.”
First things first, Dvalishvili has to handle business in December. It’s a matchup that excites him, and although they’ve had bad blood in the past, it’s all cleared up – at least on his side.
“I’m fine with him,” Dvalishvili said. “As a fighter, I give him so much respect. Also, as a family man, he has a beautiful family, five kids, and he’s a good father. Good for him, God bless him. Hopefully, he’s a better person now.”
Should Dvalishvili succeed against Yan, will stand in a league of his own, separating his name from an incredible list of champions who defended their title three times in a year. Matt Hughes, Demetrious Johnson, Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, Frank Shamrock, and Kamaru Usman have done it.
Alex Pereira also accomplished the feat just last year, but then lost his first fight of 2025, dropping the light heavyweight crown to Magomed Ankalaev. Pereira and his team said the busy schedule affected his performance in March at UFC 313, and perhaps was validated when he quickly smashed Ankalaev in their rematch in the headliner of UFC 320, just minutes after Dvalishvili defeated Sandhagen.
With Dvalishvili attempting to make history with a busy schedule, he acknowledged Pereira’s situation but prefers to stay busy rather than worry about the outcome of his fights.
“Yes, but I’m not afraid of even losing something,” Dvalishvili said when asked if he’s worried about burnout. “Listen, I’m a fighter. I know I’m not gonna win all these fights, but listen, I love this, and like I said, when I have a fight, I’m more focused. I live a more healthy lifestyle, and yeah, I just want to improve.”
