Merab Dvalishvili and Petr Yan are reportedly set to meet, with UFC 333: Volkanovski vs. Evloev on October 24, 2026 hosting the fight.

Part of that preparation seems to stem from film study of their previous fight. According to MiddleEasy, Dvalishvili has pointed to a specific moment in the second round of that fight, a failed takedown attempt, as the turning point that shaped how he now views the matchup and what he wants to adjust heading into UFC 333.

The betting markets see this as a tight fight but still give the nod to the champion. BJPenn.com reports that Yan is the slight favorite heading into the fight, and our own numbers back that up. Yan is priced at minus 176 to Dvalishvili's plus 160. Our model has it even closer than the sportsbooks, giving Yan a 54 percent edge to Dvalishvili's 46 percent.

The gap in pure fighting data tells a different story. Dvalishvili, the number one ranked bantamweight in our rankings, carries an Elo rating of 1611 built across seven tracked bouts, while Yan sits at 1552 across six. That makes Dvalishvili the stronger performer by that measure even as he enters as the betting underdog against the man currently holding the belt.

LowKick MMA also reports that Dvalishvili has sent a pointed message to Yan ahead of the matchup, underscoring how personal this meeting has become. With a packed card building around them, this fight is shaping up as one of the most scrutinized matchups on the UFC 333 lineup.