Merab Dvalishvili Embraces Decision Machine Label Before Yan Trilogy
The bantamweight champion says there are three ways to win and he picks decision every time.
Merab Dvalishvili is not pretending to be something he is not. The UFC bantamweight champion has leaned into his reputation as a grinding, decision-oriented fighter, calling himself a "decision machine" ahead of his trilogy bout with Petr Yan at UFC 333 on October 24 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Asked in an Instagram interview how he plans to beat Yan, Dvalishvili laid it out simply. "There are three ways to win: knockout, submission, or decision," he said, per Sherdog. "I'm a decision machine."
The numbers back him up. Sixteen of Dvalishvili's 21 career wins have come by decision. In the UFC, he has just two finishes to his name: a TKO of Marlon Moraes in 2021 and a submission of Sean O'Malley in his second title defense.
Dvalishvili's style has never been flashy. He overwhelms opponents with relentless wrestling pressure and cardio that borders on superhuman, grinding out rounds with volume and control rather than looking for the killshot. It is not always pretty, but his results speak for themselves.
The trilogy with Yan carries extra weight. Their rivalry has been one of the most competitive in the bantamweight division, and a decisive third meeting on a UFC 333 card already loaded with title fights gives Dvalishvili a massive stage to prove that his way of fighting wins at the highest level.
UFC 333 features multiple title bouts, with the Volkanovski vs. Evloev featherweight championship headlining alongside Dvalishvili vs. Yan. Abu Dhabi has become the UFC's premier international destination, and the card looks like one of the biggest of the year.
You have to respect a fighter who knows exactly who he is. Merab is not out here promising knockouts he is never going to deliver. He grinds, he wrestles, he wins rounds, and he goes home with the belt. That is the deal.
The thing people forget about Merab is that when he did get finishes, they were against elite competition. Submitting Sean O'Malley is not something you do by accident. The man can fight. He just chooses to fight in the way that gives him the highest percentage chance of winning, and you cannot argue with the results.
Yan is the perfect opponent to test that approach one more time. He is tough, he is technical, and he has shown he can stay in the fight with Merab. But I keep coming back to the cardio. Nobody in the division can keep up with Dvalishvili over five rounds, and I do not think Yan has found an answer for that. Decision machine wins by decision. Write it down.
