UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan promised that he would smash rival Merab Dvalishvili’s nose in their trilogy bout at UFC 333.
Yan and Dvalishvili meet for a third time this Saturday in the co-main event of UFC 333, with all the marbles on the line between the two bitter rivals, who are 1-1 so far in their series.
In their second fight at UFC 323 last December, Yan landed 139 significant strikes, many of which damaged Dvalishvili’s nose, breaking it.
Dvalishvili’s nose has healed since then, but Yan has vowed to break it once again.
Petr Yan Says He Will Break Merab Dvalishvili’s Nose Again
Speaking at the UFC 333 pre-fight press conference, Yan said that he would break Dvalishvili’s nose once again this Saturday when they fight for the third time.
“For me, it’s new fight. I don’t want to think about my last fight. Today, I have big goal. I want to smash this guy. I want to defend my title,” Yan said (via MMAFighting.com).
“I always fight with a plan. My team puts together a plan. We are surgical; we take everything apart. This machine is going to be taken apart, one detail at a time. But, trust me, I will come here, and I will break his nose one more time!”
Petr Yan Says Defending Takedowns Is His Key to Victory
For Yan, the key to victory against Dvalishvili in their trilogy bout will be defending the takedowns, because if he can keep this fight standing, he should be at a huge advantage.
“Last time he tried, like, 30, 40 takedowns against me; he couldn’t take me down once. He tried to be a striker with me, and you saw what happened. He tried to strike with me; he might as well just fire himself for that kind of striking class. So, you’ll see him try and try; he’ll try to grab my leg, he’ll try whatever he can, nothing is going to work,” Yan said.
Per the latest betting odds for UFC 333, Yan is a -160 favorite to defend his belt, while Dvalishvili is a +135 underdog to reclaim his title in their trilogy bout.
Petr Yan Promises to Smash Merab Dvalishvili’s Nose at UFC 333