Merab Dvalishvili Warns Petr Yan Will 'Beat the S*** Out of Me Again
Merab Dvalishvili has admitted he was underprepared for his latest wrestling match against Henry Cejudo at RAF 12, which he lost in just 36 seconds.
Dvalishvili, 35, has been splitting his focus between MMA and Real American Freestyle (RAF) wrestling this year, and it may have cost him in his latest defeat.
He acknowledged on "The Ariel Helwani Show" that he didn't have enough time to train for the match, as he was preparing for his upcoming UFC title fight against Petr Yan at UFC 333 in October.
"I knew it was a risk," Dvalishvili said. "He was the one who called me and asked for this wrestling match. But I knew he was preparing for something — he was going to study me, and I don't have time to really train for wrestling like this."
Since his loss to Yan at the end of 2025, Dvalishvili has wrestled three times with RAF in 2026, including a win over former UFC champion Frankie Edgar before his pair of Cejudo matches.
Dvalishvili is now focusing on his UFC title fight against Yan, which he sees as a challenge. "Petr Yan is the most dangerous guy in my weight class right now," he said.
Dvalishvili is eager to get back in action and right the wrongs of one of the sport's biggest upsets of 2025. "I love this fight," he said. "Petr is most dangerous guy in my weight class right now, and I'm very happy and grateful for fighting this guy."
The Dutch-Azerbaijani fighter has opened as a betting underdog for UFC 333, but he's relishing his return to that role after a dominant run as the 135-pound division's king.
"I knew that Petr Yan never will be easy fight for me," Dvalishvili said. "I knew. But it even surprised me how good he is and how hard he hits. If I don't prepare really, really well, he will beat the s*** out of me again."
Dvalishvili is now working on his strategy for the fight, taking breaks and relaxing to avoid burning himself out. "I will take some time off, and I will just relax a little bit more, and think about more," he said.
The stage is set for an exciting rematch between Dvalishvili and Yan, with the two fighters set to face off on October 24 at UFC 333.
Source: Yahoo Sports