The UFC 323 media day was meant to follow the usual routine, with the champion Merab Dvalishvili on one side and the challenger Petr Yan on the other. But this one cracked open quickly.

And all it took was one sentence to change the mood in the room. When ‘No Mercy’ stated that he fought their first fight “with one arm,” what followed wasn’t trash talk, but the champion’s patience snapping in real time. Suddenly, ‘The Machine’ was defending more than just his title. He was protecting the truth about what took place over the last year. And he wanted answers before anyone jumped on the rematch hype.

Merab Dvalishvili goes berserk on Petr Yan

Petr Yan sought to stay focused on the rematch, relying on his track record of performing better the second time around. In an interview just a few days ago, ‘No Mercy’ claimed to have been “100% better” in his rematches with Magomedov and Sterling and predicted that Saturday would follow suit.

In his mind, this is the Petr Yan that fans have forgotten. Someone who learns fast, adapts faster, and aims to return the belt to Russia. He also looked beyond Saturday, saying a trilogy would be “cool” if he won, because a guy like Merab Dvalishvili deserves that type of closure. But whatever long-term strategy Yan was devising crashed straight into Dvalishvili’s refusal to give anything up.

When ‘No Mercy’ talked about being injured in his first fight against the champion, ‘The Machine’ interrupted him mid-thought, raising his voice without hesitation: “Petr, you’re better than this, bro. Stop making excuses. What’s going to be your excuse when I beat you on December 6?” This wasn’t a soundbite. It was genuine irritation, perhaps offense, that his decisive victory was being undermined by injury talks.

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The Machine had only one question. “Do you have any injuries now? Yes or no?” To this, Yan simply replied with a calm, “On Saturday, we’ll see,” only tightening the tension. Outside of the flashpoint, Yan showed Merab Dvalishvili respect in the earlier interview. He referred to him as a “great warrior,” praised the Georgian’s remarkable run, and admitted that defeating someone so powerful is precisely what makes the rematch noteworthy.

“Imagine this Saturday, ‘No Mercy’ beats this great Merab,” he added, letting it hang in the air as if he wanted it to manifest. However, ‘The Machine’ was not interested in future headlines or hypothetical trilogies. He wanted clarity right now. He didn’t want any excuses on Monday morning. In his opinion, the rematch is either clean or not at all, and the challenger is not allowed to offer justifications for why the first battle looked the way it did.

That’s why he pressed, wanted a yes or no answer, and rejected anything that sounded like injury insurance. ‘The Machine’ wasn’t opposing Petr Yan‘s confidence; he was fighting the narrative that might come after it. And while it is yet to be seen whether Dvalishvili manages to retain his title at UFC 323, one thing we do know is that he won’t be offering Umar Nurmagomedov a shot at it.

Merab Dvalishvili snubs Umar Nurmagomedov rematch

Coming off that demand for a clean, excuse-free rematch with Yan, it became clear why Merab Dvalishvili is looking past ‘rematches’ in 2026. He’s defending his belt on his own terms. With the division moving quickly and his momentum growing even faster, Umar Nurmagomedov simply does not fit into the picture he wants to paint next year.

Instead, ‘The Machine’ has moved his focus to Aiemann Zahabi. “I think the next challenge could be Zahabi. He is coming from a long win streak,” Dvalishvili said. He addressed him without hesitation, citing his seven-fight winning streak and the fact that Zahabi adds something unique to the table. “I’d like to fight a fresh opponent, of course. Zahabi is coming from a long win streak. That would be a good fight,” he told Aaron Bronsteter, and the message was clear.

Even though Nurmagomedov’s side anticipates a rematch after UFC 324, the champion believes Zahabi is the more deserving and exciting test right now. Other names have entered the mix, including Song Yadong if he beats Sean O’Malley and Payton Talbott if he continues to rise. None of them are fighters he has already faced, which is precisely the point. What are your thoughts on Merab Dvalishvili’s 2026 blueprint?