Merab Dvalishvili says he has 11lb left to cut for Petr Yan trilogy at UFC 333

Merab Dvalishvili has already shed 7kg (15lb) and has two days to make the 135lb limit for his bantamweight title fight with Petr Yan in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

By Combat Sports UK Staff · Published Wed 21 Oct, 16:42 UK · AI-assisted reporting

Merab Dvalishvili still has 5kg (11lb) to lose before he weighs in for his UFC 333 bantamweight title fight with Petr Yan, and he expects the final stretch to be tough.

The Georgian former champion has already cut 7kg (15lb) and has two days left to make the 135lb limit. He has never missed weight in 17 UFC fights.

Dvalishvili, 35, said in a video on his social media: “Hello everyone, today is Wednesday and I have two more days left until I make weight, as you can see my weight is going down, I have already cut 7 kilos and I have 5 kilos left, this 5 kilos will be tough as you can see I’m already skinny, there is no more fat.”

Post by @ChampRDS on X

He added that he would stop drinking water from Wednesday, taking only sips along with a little food while he sweats out the remaining weight.

The fight with Yan is the co-main event of Saturday's card in Abu Dhabi, one of two title fights at the top of the bill. It settles a rivalry that stands at 1-1.

Dvalishvili won their first meeting in 2023 over five rounds, relying on his wrestling and control. Yan took the rematch and the title last year, stopping 27 of Dvalishvili's 29 takedown attempts.

Yan then underwent nine-hour surgery on his back, which left him unable to train or compete. The Russian is a slight favourite for the trilogy fight.

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Merab Dvalishvili Petr Yan