VIDEO | Merab Dvalishvili confronts Petr Yan in hotel lobby just days before UFC Las Vegas main event: “Let’s talk now”
Merab Dvalishvili and Petr Yan went face-to-face just days before their UFC Las Vegas main event.
Dvalishvili and Yan are set to headline the card from The Theater at Virgin Hotel in Las Vegas in a crucial fight for the bantamweight division. The winner could be a win away from a title shot, and in the lead-up, Dvalishvili has said this fight is personal.
“I have many reasons,” Dvalishvili said at media day (h/t MMAJunkie). “First, this fight is not only a fight. It’s personal to me. He’s from Russia, I’m from Georgia. We all know Russia what they’re doing to Ukraine now, what they did to Georgia. Russia is not a (politically) democratic country. I know I want to win for my people. I have so much support from my country and so much support from Ukraine, too.
“Petr is a great fighter. He is a former champion. We all know he’s tough. As a fighter, he’s a great fighter. He’s dangerous,” Dvalishvili continued about Yan. “He doesn’t have holes anywhere. He’s a good striker. He is a good striker. He defends wrestling good. His cardio is good. This is my toughest fight. And I have other reasons. I think he’s a great fighter, a good family guy, but he’s not a humble guy. He’s not a great human. It doesn’t matter how good of a fighter you are, you have to be a good person.”
Now, after media day, Merab Dvalishvili and Petr Yan saw each other in the hotel and had an awkward conversation.
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Although the two sides have taken shots at one another, the good news for both men is they can settle their differences in the Octagon on Saturday.
Heading into the fight, Petr Yan is a sizeable betting favorite as he looks to snap his two-fight losing skid. Merab Dvalishvili, meanwhile, is coming off a win over Jose Aldo back in August.
What do you make of the run in between Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili?
