Merab Dvalishvili discusses bad blood with Petr Yan ahead of UFC Fight Night 221 main event

Merab Dvalishvili dislikes Petr Yan and was not afraid to share his true feelings ahead of their UFC Fight Night 221 main event bout. The No.3-ranked bantamweight revealed why he doesn't believe the No.2-ranked bantamweight is humble.

Speaking with Damon Martin on MMA Fighting, 'The Machine' stated:

"When I see 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. I was staying [to] myself on the other side, but he was talking to Aljo, and I don’t want to go close to him because he had a fight, he was cutting weight. He was just doing his own thing. I was respectful."

Merab Dvalishvili continued:

"He pointed to me and he said, ‘He’s small.’ I go and stand [by him] like it was funny. I tried to size him up, and then he pointed again to me and he said I’m a zero. He's cocky. Most fighters are humble. I don’t think Petr is humble, and he should be more humble."

Check out Merab Dvalishvili's comments on Petr Yan below:

Dvalishvili will look to extend his win streak to nine fights when he faces Petr Yan at UFC Fight Night 221. A victory would likely place him on the cusp of receiving his first title opportunity in a crowded bantamweight division. Yan will look to climb back into title contention after losing his past two fights.

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Merab Dvalishvili dislikes Petr Yan: 'The Machine' claims UFC Fight Night 221 victory would be better than bantamweight title

Merab Dvalishvili has made it clear that he is no fan of Petr Yan. Speaking with The Schmo ahead of their UFC Fight Night 221 bout, 'The Machine' shared just how important a victory over Yan is to him, stating:

"I want to just win this fight, that's it. That would be better than winning a title because this fight isn't [just] a fight. This is a personal fight for me. For my country, all my country is supporting me. It's no secret Russia, they're not treating Georgia and Ukraine good. This is Russia versus Georgia. This is sport, but this is more than a fight for me."

Check out Merab Dvalishvili's comments on Petr Yan below (starting at the 9:30 mark):

It is clear that this fight means a lot to Dvalishvili. The No.3-ranked bantamweight, who is currently on an eight-fight win streak, will face his toughest challenge since facing Jose Aldo in August last year.