The rivalry between Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili heats up ahead of their UFC Vegas main event showdown.
Tensions ran high at the UFC Las Vegas weigh-ins as the contenders faced off ahead of their main event fight on Saturday at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas. Yan, who has had a longstanding feud with Dvalishvili and his training partner, bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, escalated things by shoving Dvalishvili during their final staredown at the UFC Las Vegas weigh-ins.
You can watch the intense staredown between Yan and Dvalishvili in the video below.
Petr Yan vs Merab Dvalishvili Heated Staredown
Yan looks to end the worst run of his career, following consecutive split decision losses to Sterling and Sean O’Malley. With his last win coming over Cory Sandhagen at UFC 267 in October 2021, there is no denying that this is a crucial fight for the former champion who is widely regarded as one of the top talents in the UFC.
Meanwhile, Dvalishvili enters the fight with massive momentum on an eight-fight win streak. With the weight Yan’s name holds & personal rivalry added, there is no doubt that this is the biggest fight of Merab’s career thus far. Back in August at UFC 278, Dvalishvili secured a close decision victory over Jose Aldo, stifling the former featherweight champion.
Some are questioning whether Yan will face repercussions for the shove, especially after a similar incident involving Jeremy Stephens and Drakkar Klose at UFC Vegas 24 resulted in Stephens injuring Klose & the cancellation of their co-main event fight.
Regardless, with the stakes higher than ever & an intense rivalry brewing fans can expect an explosive showdown between two of the top bantamweight contenders in the world.
Who do you think wins, Petr Yan or Merab Dvalishvili? Let us know in the comments below!
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
