Merab Dvalishvili has shared a candid reflection following his bantamweight title loss to Petr Yan in a rematch at UFC 323. Dvalishvili, who had a remarkable run of three title defenses in a single year, was on the cusp of a historic fourth defense until Yan secured the victory.
Despite his impressive championship activity, the promotion has assured Dvalishvili an immediate rematch once Petr Yan is ready.
Dvalishvili Breaks Down UFC 323 Loss and Admits Human Vulnerability
In a recent interview with Demetrious Johnson, Dvalishvili discussed his defeat, admitting that he had prepared for a general array of opponents rather than specifically strategizing for Yan. He acknowledged that despite his “Machine” moniker, he is, in fact, human and capable of losing.
“My nickname is Machine, but I’m a human being sometimes. Against Petr, I think also what happened was that I think I can beat everybody that day, maybe except Petr. Because Petr was really training for me. And his style is different, and he’s this tough, tough fighter. Everybody else, I think I can beat. Any striker or any other fighter in my weight class except Petr… I made some mistakes during training camp… I was just doing my thing, pushing the limit, and just doing a lot of grappling rounds.”
During the rematch, Dvalishvili found himself on the receiving end of Yan’s takedowns, with Yan also successfully defending Dvalishvili’s attempts to take him down. Dvalishvili confessed that he was unable to secure Yan’s neck during submission attempts, a failed maneuver that Yan capitalized on by securing takedowns and landing significant strikes.
Dvalishvili recently sustained a broken nose during training but has opted against surgery, planning to address it only after his retirement. Meanwhile, Yan has recovered from his own back surgery and has returned to training. Fans anticipate a potential third encounter between the two fighters later this year.