Former bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili released a statement on Monday addressing his UFC 333 decision loss to Petr Yan. The trilogy bout served as the fight card’s main event.
Heading into the third bout, each fighter had a win over the other. Yan left Abu Dhabi with his championship intact after winning the final three rounds on the judges scorecards. According to the statement, Dvalishvili expects a quick turnaround.
“Good day everyone! First and foremost I want to thank God for he has truly blessed me and I am grateful! Next I want to thank my cornermen@funkmasterMMA@DaveyGrantMMA@zviadlazishvili@bigwoodmma for their help and dedication. I am grateful for my Vegas teammates and training partners who always showed up and pushed me to great limits. Also big thanks to my New York team @MattSerraUFC and @TrainingDaywRay and all my New York / Long Island Boys,” he wrote on X.
“Thank you to the @ufc for always giving me these opportunities! Last but certainly not least – my family, friends and fans – your support and love means the world to me ! I cannot wait to be back in that cage doing what I love to do ! I am healthy and motivated and will be back soon ! This Machine never breaks! See you all soon.”
Good day everyone! First and foremost I want to thank God for he has truly blessed me and I am grateful! Next I want to thank my cornermen @funkmasterMMA@DaveyGrantMMA@zviadlazishvili@bigwoodmma for their help and dedication. I am grateful for my Vegas teammates and training…
— Merab “The Machine” Dvalishvili (@MerabDvalishvil) October 26, 2026