Concerns loomed over Merab Dvalishvili’s health after he suffered his second consecutive loss to Petr Yan in their action-packed trilogy title bout at UFC 333 this past Saturday. Despite the defeat, the loss it seems hasn’t dampened ‘The Machine’s fortitude as he provided an update on his health.

The former UFC bantamweight champion took to Instagram to break his silence after the defeat in Abu Dhabi last weekend. At first, the Georgian shouted out his coaches and teammates for helping with his fight. Then, Merab assured everyone of being healthy and ready to return to the Octagon soon.  

“Good day, everyone! First and foremost, I want to thank God, for he has truly blessed me, and I am grateful! Next, I want to thank my cornermen @funkmastermma @daveygrantmma @zviadlazishvili @bigwoodmma702 for their help and dedication. I am grateful for my Vegas teammates and training partners who always showed up and pushed me to great limits. Also big thanks to my New York team @mattserraufc and @raylongomma and all my New York / Long Island Boys!! 

“Thank you to the @ufc for always giving me these opportunities! Last but certainly not least – my family, friends and fans –  your support and love means the world to me! I cannot wait to be back in that cage doing what I love to do! I am healthy and motivated and will be back soon! This Machine never breaks! See you all soon 🦾🦾❤️❤️” 

To an extent, it’s surprising that Merab Dvalishvili has emerged healthy and escaped any major damage after Petr Yan landed some massive shots that many believed could leave some lingering effects after the fight.

Dvalishvili looked absolutely dominant in the first two rounds with his distance management, takedown feints, and crisp right hands. Still, the Russian managed to steadily adjust from the third round and kept pouring in shots. Yan also landed a perfectly timed body kick in the third round that drew an almost identical reaction from Merab as the one he showed in their second fight at UFC 323.

‘No Mercy’ lived up to his moniker with the relentless offense that battered Merab’s face and body in the later rounds. Plus, the Georgian bantamweight legend looked exhausted after attempting a record-breaking 58 takedowns and landing only five in the course of five rounds, which added to Yan’s growing onslaught.

In the end, the judges declared Petr Yan the winner of the trilogy by unanimous decision, awarding him 48–47 on all their scorecards. 

Despite sustaining such damage, Merab claims to be perfectly healthy. However, he could not say the same after their last fight at UFC 323 in December 2025, because Petr Yan’s beating left Merab’s face so bloodied and bruised that the UFC immediately sent him to the local hospital for precautionary checks. Fortunately, he avoided that fate this time.

One important thing to note here is that Merab Dvalishvili injured his nose prior to the UFC 333 trilogy fight in a training session and chose not to undergo surgery. Still, ‘The Machine’s’ health update seemingly dispelled that concern, too.

That said, as Merab is eyeing a comeback after going 1 win and 2 losses vs. Yan, there is an opponent who would make complete sense for him to collide with. 

Merab Dvalishvili would most likely fight Song Yadong next 

At this point, Merab Dvalishvili would find himself in a whirlwind of tempting ideas while selecting his next opponent. The bantamweight division offers compelling matchups such as Payton Talbott and Raul Rosas Jr., but he should aim for Song Yadong next.

Yes, Daniel Cormier pushed Yan to call out Yadong during the UFC 333 post-fight Octagon interview. But most likely, the promotion would choose Sean O’Malley to face the Russian next. The reason is fairly simple: ‘Suga’ has already defeated Yadong at UFC 324 in January 2026.

According to that matchmaking, Merab Dvalishvili vs. Song Yadong becomes an ideal fight to conduct. Both defeated a common rival, Umar Nurmagomedov. However, the difference is that the Georgian edged out the Dagestani via unanimous decision, while the Chinese fighter recently scored a massive knockout victory over Nurmagomedov at UFC Shanghai in 2026.

Well, a win over Yadong wouldn’t guarantee Merab a title shot unless Yan stays the champion. The stakes are completely opposite in ‘Kung Fu Kid’s’ case. But if ‘The Machine’ ends up racking up a few victories in addition to beating Yadong, he would find himself pushing back into the title conversation once again.

Merab already called out Yadong before fighting Yan at UFC 333, assuming he would defend the belt. Regardless, the Georgian can push for the fight. Or, he could eye a move towards the 145 lbs division as well.