Merab Dvalishvili, the UFC bantamweight champion, prefers to avoid trash talk unless there’s genuine animosity, showing respect towards Petr Yan ahead of their rematch, despite past tensions.
Merab Dvalishvili isn’t shy about responding when opponents trash-talk him. Yet, the UFC bantamweight champ generally avoids drama unless there’s real animosity.
Before his UFC 323 rematch with Petr Yan, Dvalishvili has shown nothing but respect. Quite the shift from their first bout, where tensions ran high due to Yan’s rivalry with Aljamain Sterling, Dvalishvili’s friend.
Interestingly, Yan now praises Dvalishvili as the greatest bantamweight ever, even suggesting an immediate rematch for anyone who beats him. This is a stark contrast to their initial encounter, which saw Yan shoving Dvalishvili at weigh-ins, prompting UFC officials to step in.
“That fight was personal,” Dvalishvili reflected during media day. “Now, it’s just competition. I’ve beaten him before, and I even cheer for him now. He’s a great father and a solid fighter.”
Dvalishvili once had issues with Yan being a bully, trash-talking him and his team. “But now, it’s all good. I’ll shake his hand and wish him well,” he added.
Without naming names, Dvalishvili also hinted at past tensions with Umar Nurmagomedov. Their exchanges were heated, but Dvalishvili felt it lacked authenticity, which irked him more.
“I dislike fake drama,” he stated. “We’re fighters; people will watch regardless. One guy called me after our fight, saying it was all for show. I thought, why bother?”
For Dvalishvili, the sport should be genuine. “I’m real. I might joke, but I don’t trash-talk without reason,” he shared. “Disrespect without cause isn’t my style.”
As for the future, Nurmagomedov might cross paths with Dvalishvili again, especially if he wins against Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 324.
But Dvalishvili isn’t fazed. He’s ready to face anyone the UFC lines up, already planning for 2025 rematches with Yan and Sean O’Malley. Perhaps Nurmagomedov will be next.
“Whoever they put in front of me, I’ll fight,” Dvalishvili declared. “I prefer facing those on winning streaks. It motivates me.”
Right now, Yan is that motivation. “He’s beaten Figueiredo, Song Yadong, and Marcus McGhee dominantly. So, he’s the guy,” Dvalishvili concluded.