UFC bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili has his next callout ready if he picks up a big win in his upcoming fight at UFC 333.
Dvalishvili battles UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan in a trilogy bout that co-headlines UFC 333, which takes place on October 24 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
If he wins his belt back, Dvalishvili knows who he wants to fight next.
Merab Dvalishvili Wants to Fight Song Yadong Next
Speaking to MMAjunkie.com, Dvalishvili said that he wants to fight Song Yadong — who is coming off a huge upset KO win over Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC Shanghai — in his first title defense of his second reign as the UFC bantamweight champion.
“If I win, Song Yadong is next. Because we never fought each other, he’s dangerous, and we always know he has knockout power. If Petr Yan wins, then Sean O’Malley, because they have a history. It’s simple this time who’s gonna be next for each other, but I think Song Yadong has to get ready,” Dvalishvili said.
Merab Dvalishvili Is Focused on Beating Petr Yan Again
Although Dvalishvili knows who he wants next, he wanted to make it clear to all the fans that his focus is solely on defeating Yan at UFC 333 and recapturing the UFC bantamweight title.
“No. 1, I’m focusing on Yan, and I want to win this fight. More than the belt, I just want to win against my next opponent. The belt will come automatically, and then the belt – it’s good, but it’s not the main thing for me. I just want to win against the best guy, which is Petr Yan. Then I will have a belt again, and it’s gonna be good. Sweet,” Dvalishvili said.
Per FightOdds.io, Yan is the favorite to win the trilogy fight against Dvalishvili at -180 odds, with the comeback on the underdog at +155.
It’s a very intriguing matchup, as Dvalishvili dominated the pair’s first fight before Yan came back to dominate the second fight. So, how will the trilogy bout play out? We’ll find out soon when UFC 333 takes place next weekend between Dvalishvili and Yan.
Merab Dvalishvili Has Next Callout Ready With Big Win at UFC 333