MMA Series fighter Saveliy Kurochkin has shared his prediction for the highly anticipated trilogy bout between Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili. Kurochkin believes the upcoming showdown will present a much tougher challenge for the Russian UFC champion than their previous meeting. Still, he expects Yan to come out on top once again and successfully defend his bantamweight title.

"I think this fight will be much tougher for Petr Yan than the second one," Kurochkin said. "I'm picking Yan to win by split decision. It will be a very close fight. Both guys know each other well by now, and neither will make the same mistakes they made in their previous fights. I expect a cautious, tactical battle, with Petr ultimately getting the nod from the judges."

Yan and Dvalishvili have already met twice inside the Octagon. Their first encounter came in March 2023, when the Georgian fighter earned a unanimous decision victory. Yan turned the tables in their December 2025 rematch, defeating Dvalishvili over five rounds to reclaim the UFC bantamweight championship.

The rubber match is scheduled for October 24 at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. With the series tied at 1-1, the third meeting will determine who comes out on top in the rivalry. For Yan, the stakes are even higher: a chance to cement his status as champion and retain his UFC bantamweight crown.