‘Stop making excuses!’: Merab Dvalishvili slams Petr Yan saying he fought with one arm in first fight

Story byDamon MartinFri, December 5, 2025 at 2:18 AM UTC·2 min readMerab Dvalishvili promised there’s no more bad blood with Petr Yan ahead of their rematch at UFC 323 but that didn’t stop the reigning bantamweight champion from getting a little heated at his opponent during the pre-fight press conference on Thursday. During the Q&A, Yan addressed Dvalishvili seeking 49 takedowns in their first encounter, many of which he thwarted but ultimately didn’t matter after losing a unanimous decision following the five round fight. When asked about the adjustments he made ahead of the rematch, Yan was quick to point out that he was far from at his healthiest when he initially clashed with Dvalishvili back in 2023. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“In my first fight, I fought with him with one arm,” Yan said. “He tried 49 takedowns.”That drew a fiery response from Dvalishvili, who has admittedly grown tired of hearing about injuries and ailments from past opponents after beating them.