Merab Dvalishvili Eyes Song Yadong Next — Win or Lose vs Yan at UFC 333

Merab Dvalishvili hasn't even stepped into the cage for his trilogy with Petr Yan yet, and he's already sketching out his next assignment. Ahead of Saturday's UFC 333 co-main event in Abu Dhabi, the former bantamweight champion floated the idea of a quick turnaround against Song Yadong at UFC 334 — potentially inside a month, at Madison Square Garden in November.

This comes off a 10-month layoff that's wildly out of character for a man who built his brand on activity. In 2026 Dvalishvili ran through Cory Sandhagen, Sean O'Malley and Umar Nurmagomedov, chasing an unprecedented four title defenses in a calendar year. Yan torched that bid, avenging his 2023 loss and reclaiming the belt in the process.

No Regrets, Just a Caveat

Asked whether that brutal schedule taught him to slow down, Dvalishvili said he doesn't regret the busy year and is at peace with the loss — he called it part of the sport. The one lesson he took: don't rematch someone as dangerous as Yan on two months' notice. He admitted he needed more preparation time than he gave himself.

For everyone else, though, the volume approach stands. He said he'd happily fight Song in November at MSG, even acknowledging his 'crazy mindset' is already pulling him toward the booking while a more sensible voice reminds him he wants to open a gym and actually rest.

Why Song Makes Sense

Song Yadong bulldozed his way up the contender ladder with a second-round knockout of Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC Shanghai — the kind of statement win that reshuffles a division. It's worth noting Song has stumbled in his biggest tests before, dropping fights to Yan, Sandhagen (18-7, #5) and O'Malley. The Umar finish changed the conversation.

Dvalishvili's logic is clean. If he beats Yan on Saturday, Song is the obvious next man up — a no-brainer, in his words. And if Yan wins? He argues the fight still makes sense for him rather than Song, since Yan has already beaten Song and wouldn't need to run it back. Either way, 'The Machine' wants the matchup. Now it's on the UFC to make it.