Merab Dvalishvili recently fired back at Petr Yan after his injury comments and accused him of making excuses. Dvalishvili didn’t hold back as he challenged Yan’s narrative, adding more fuel to the fire ahead of their UFC 323 main event.
Dvalishvili will defend his UFC bantamweight championship against Yan in a rematch of their 2023 encounter. That fight saw ‘The Machine’ secure a dominant unanimous decision win. However, Yan has since claimed that he was injured during the fight and wasn’t 100 percent.
“In my first fight [with Dvalishvili], I fought him with one arm,” Yan said during the UFC 323 pre-fight press conference.
Dvalishvili took aim at Yan for those remarks. He questioned his status heading into the rematch and whether he is dealing with any injuries. The reigning bantamweight champion then urged him not to make any more excuses.
“Petr, you are better than this. Stop making excuses. Please, no excuses. When I will beat you [at UFC 323], what excuse are you going to make? Tell me now,” Dvalishvili said. “Are you going to make excuses when I will beat you again? Tell me now, please.”
He continued:
“Do you have any injuries or no? Yes or no? I guess no.”
Petr Yan Provides Health Status Ahead of Rematch with Merab Dvalishvili
Petr Yan dismissed any idea that he is entering his rematch with Merab Dvalishvili at anything less than 100 percent. He acknowledged that his training camp went smoothly and believes he will reclaim the bantamweight championship at UFC 323.
Yan enters the fight riding a three-fight winning streak that includes victories over Marcus McGhee, Song Yadong, and former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo. Before that, he was on a three-fight losing skid that included his loss to Dvalishvili.
Yan believes his rematch will be a true representation of his skills and how he matches up with Dvalishvili. ‘No Mercy’ also claimed that it is the best that he has ever felt ahead of a fight.
“I feel great,” Yan said during the UFC 323 pre-fight press conference. “This Saturday, you’re going to see me in the best shape of my life.”
Dvalishvili and Yan Make Weight for Bantamweight Title Clash
The UFC 323 headliner between Dvalishvili and Yan is official, as both competitors successfully made weight.
Dvalishvili didn’t waste any time. He was the first to step onto the scale and officially weighed in at 135 pounds. This is the fourth time he will have fought this year, reflecting his willingness to compete often.
Yan later stepped onto the scale and also weighed in at 135 pounds.
During his appearance on the UFC 323 Morning Weigh-In Show, Dvalishvili opened up about his weight cuts to bantamweight. He admitted that although he makes weight, it is consistently the most difficult part of his fight week.
“Thank God this weight cut is over and now I can recover. I can drink. Hard part is over. Now, I’m back [to] real life,” Dvalishvili said. “This is [the] hardest thing. Fighting, I can fight every other week, but weight cut is worst. So, don’t tell me, ‘Weight cut is easy,’ it’s never easy.”
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