TLDR
- Merab Dvalishvili posted video of himself smelling pizza during his weight cut for UFC 323
- He defends his bantamweight title against Petr Yan on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas
- This would be Dvalishvili’s fourth title defense of 2025, a potential record
- Dvalishvili defeated Yan by unanimous decision in their first fight in 2023
- Yan enters the rematch on a three-fight win streak after defeating Song Yadong
Merab Dvalishvili is taking an unusual approach to his weight cut ahead of UFC 323. The bantamweight champion posted a video on Instagram showing himself smelling pizza while eating healthier food during the final phase of his weight cut.
The video went viral on social media this week. Dvalishvili appeared to be testing his discipline by keeping junk food nearby while sticking to his meal plan.
UFC 323 takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The event features two title fights at the top of the card. Dvalishvili headlines the show in a rematch against former champion Petr Yan.
This will be Dvalishvili’s fourth title defense of 2025 if he wins. The Georgian fighter already defended his belt against Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov earlier this year. Both fights went the full 25 minutes.
The champion has maintained an intense schedule of activity. Most UFC champions fight far less frequently throughout a calendar year.
Dvalishvili’s Path to the Title
Dvalishvili’s UFC career started with difficulties. He lost his debut fight to Frankie Saenz by split decision in December 2017. Saenz told reporters after the fight to watch out for Dvalishvili in the future.
The Georgian suffered a second consecutive loss in his next fight. He lost to Ricky Simon via technical submission. Dvalishvili claims he knocked himself out during that fight.
After starting 0-2, Dvalishvili turned his career around. He defeated Terrion Ware and Brad Katona to even his record at 2-2. He then went on a breakthrough run in 2020, beating Casey Kenney, Gustavo Lopez and John Dodson.
Dvalishvili has now won 14 consecutive fights. His relentless pace and wrestling ability have made him one of the most dominant champions in the division.
Yan Seeks Revenge
Petr Yan enters the rematch looking to reclaim UFC gold. The Russian fighter lost to Dvalishvili by unanimous decision in their first meeting in 2023. Dvalishvili dominated that fight with takedowns, winning every round on the scorecards.
Yan started his UFC career with a 7-0 record. He won an interim title by defeating Jose Aldo. Yan became the undisputed champion but lost his belt to Aljamain Sterling via disqualification at UFC 251.
He won another interim title by beating Sandhagen. Yan then lost a rematch to Sterling, starting a three-fight losing streak that ended with his loss to Dvalishvili.
The 32-year-old took nearly a year off before returning. He defeated Song Yadong in his comeback fight last year. Yan has now won three straight fights heading into UFC 323.
Dvalishvili secured 11 takedowns in their first fight. He controlled Yan for much of the bout with his wrestling. Yan will need to make adjustments to avoid a similar result on Saturday night.
