Petr Yan says he was not rude to Merab Dvalishvili, just 'being real', before UFC 333

Yan, who says he knows how to counter Dvalishvili in their third fight, believes he can control the way it goes.

By Combat Sports UK Staff · Published Mon 19 Oct, 21:36 UK · AI-assisted reporting

Post by @arielhelwani on X

Petr Yan says he was not rude to Merab Dvalishvili at their recent press conference and face-off, only "being real", and that he told Dvalishvili to shut up when he "started making things up".

Dvalishvili had called Yan a rude person and said he would humble him, Ariel Helwani put to Yan on The Ariel Helwani Show. Yan said: "I wasn't rude, you know, I was just being real. And when I was asked question and he started making things up, I just told him to shut up. That's about it."

He added: "And most important that he himself acknowledged that I humbled him."

Yan said he fought "absolutely differently" in their second fight last December than in the first, which Dvalishvili won. "In the second fight, I could punch him," he said, and claimed Dvalishvili had admitted in an interview that he was broken in the second round.

On the third fight, Yan said: "I know what to expect from him this time. And I know how to counter it. And I believe I can make him fight the way I want. You know, control the way fight goes."

Yan and Dvalishvili meet for the bantamweight title at UFC 333 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday 24 October, where Alexander Volkanovski faces Movsar Evloev in the main event.

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In this story

Petr Yan Merab Dvalishvili Alexander Volkanovski Movsar Evloev