Merab Dvalishvili discusses previous run-in with Petr Yan in Abu Dhabi: “He should be more humble”

UFC bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili seemingly has bad blood with Petr Yan.

‘The Machine’ has been out of the octagon since his clash with Jose Aldo last August at UFC 278. Heading into the contest, the Brazilian was hoping to earn one final title shot, but those plans were blown up. Dvalishvili wound up winning by unanimous decision, the biggest victory of his career to date.

The Georgian is set to face another former champion, Petr Yan, this weekend. The two will headline a fight night card in Las Vegas, and there’s a lot of heat heading into the matchup. ‘No Mercy’ famously had a two-fight series with Dvalishvili’s teammate, Aljamain Sterling, and emotions ran high.

However, the two also had a face-to-face meeting in Abu Dhabi last year. Yan was in town for his clash with Sean O’Malley, while Dvalishvili was there to support Sterling against T.J. Dillashaw. During fight week, the two bantamweights ran into one another.

According to Merab Dvalishvili in an interview with MMA Fighting, the two sized each other up a bit, and the Russian taunted him during the interaction. The Georgian also opined that the former champion needs to be more humble.

(via Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

“When I saw him in Abu Dhabi, he was getting ready for the fight with [Sean] O’Malley – it was like three days before the fight, and I was respectful,” Dvalishvili stated. “I was standing by myself on the other side, but he was talking to Aljo, and I don’t want to go close to him. He had a fight, he was cutting weight, he was just doing his own thing, and I was respectful.”

He continued, “He pointed at me and he said, ‘He’s small.’ I go and stand [near him] like it was funny, I tried to size him up, and then he pointed to me again and he said I’m a zero. He’s like cocky. Most fighters are humble, and he should be more humble.”

What do you make of these comments? Are you excited about Merab Dvalishvili vs. Petr Yan? Sound off in the comment section below PENN Nation!