Coach John Wood is confident that Merab Dvalishvili will dethrone Petr Yan in 2026 and reclaim what he lost at UFC 323.
Dvalishvili vs. Yan 3 is expected to happen later this year. Currently, “No Mercy” is on the sidelines after he had lower back surgery.
The promotion, on the other hand, has promised “The Machine” an immediate title rematch, as he was the most active champion in 2025, who successfully defended his belt three times in one year, before losing it in December to Yan.
Merab Dvalishvili wanted to become the first UFC champion to register four successful title defenses within 12 months and met Yan in a rematch. However, the bout did not go the Georgian’s way, and he was defeated by unanimous decision.
Although “The Machine” kept his usual pace and tried everything in his arsenal, Petr Yan was the better man at UFC 323. “No Mercy” managed to stop most of Dvalishvili’s takedowns, scored his own, landed the cleaner strikes, and pieced up Dvalishvili’s face and liver.
The Georgian’s camp later admitted that “Merab just needs to go be Merab” in his trilogy bout with Yan, and that his attempt to chase finishes in title defenses was the wrong approach.
Coach John Wood is confident Merab Dvalishvili will get the title back by beating “another great version of Petr Yan”
In a recent interview with The Boys in the Back, the former UFC bantamweight champion’s coach, John Wood, firstly lauded Petr Yan’s UFC 323 performance:
I do think that was a great version of Petr Yan. I think he came out there more motivated than he ever has been. I think he looked healthy. He was ready to go. And that’s just how it goes. Some nights you’re the hammer, some nights you’re the nail, and that was one of those nights where things didn’t line up for us like we wanted them to through the camp and through the fight. Hats off to Petr. He showed up and looked phenomenal. The guy is currently the best in the world, and there’s a reason why he won that right.”
Wood then showed confidence by stating that Merab Dvalishvili will dethrone Petr Yan in the trilogy bout and get the 135-pound strap back:
I think there’s a version of Merab that beats that Petr all day long. There’s no doubt in my mind that Merab can beat Petr Yan in that fight… I think the third one is going to be a great fight. I think Merab will go out there and get that title back and I think he is going to beat another great version of Petr Yan.”
Check out John Wood’s comments below:
Merab Dvalishvili endured four weight cuts in 2025, which could have been a major reason why he was unable to perform at his full potential at UFC 323. Additionally, the co-main event between Alexandre Pantoja and Joshua Van ended just seconds into the fight after Pantoja suffered a gruesome arm injury.
Because of the quick and unfortunate finish, “The Machine” did not have enough time to warm up, which may have affected his performance, as per his peers.
Merab Dvalishvili vs. Petr Yan 3 is not a fight fans are expecting on the White House card, as the former has already confirmed that the UFC has told him that there will be no Russian fighters on the June 14 card.
Given Yan’s recovery timeline, it looks like he will face Merab Dvalishvili toward the end of the second quarter of 2026 or sometime in the third quarter.
“The Machine,” on the other hand, is itching to return and recently took a light-hearted jab at “No Mercy” by offering him a free jacuzzi so the current and two-time UFC bantamweight champion can recover faster.
Check out Merab Dvalishvili’s post below:
