WATCH: Petr Yan runs into Merab Dvalishvili at the fighter hotel ahead of UFC on ESPN+ 79
No.2-ranked bantamweight Petr Yan and his opponent, the No.3-ranked Merab Dvalishvili, had a run-in at the fighter hotel. The Russian and Georgian MMA fighters are set to face off at this weekend's UFC Fight Night 221 (UFC on ESPN+ 79).
Both fighters interacted in English, with Dvalishvili speaking more than his Russian counterpart. Essentially, Merab Dvalishvili asked Petr Yan for a press conference or a face-off interview (with the Schmo), as the fight night card this weekend doesn't have a pre-fight presser.
However, Petr Yan wasn't into the idea and said that he'd be willing to interact with Dvalishvili after the fight.
Here's what Merab Dvalishvili said to Petr Yan:
"When [do] you want to do the interview? You and me, no Schmo. [I want to] do an interview like this. When [do] you want to talk? [It's] because we don't have any [pre-fight] press conference. Let's do it."
Yan didn't seem too comfortable interacting with Dvalishvili and insisted that they can have the interview after the fight. The logic behind Dvalishvili's idea is basically to promote the fight, since the card has no official pre-fight press conference.
Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili: Which bantamweight will take the W?
One could argue that Petr Yan has some of the best boxing in the UFC, and probably the best boxing in the bantamweight division. 'No Mercy' has seven wins by knockout in 20 professional fights. He also held the UFC bantamweight title and interim title, eventually losing both titles to current divisional champion Aljamain Sterling.
Merab Dvalishvili had a rocky start in the promotion, going 0-2 in his first two UFC fights. However, after his first two promotional losses, Dvalishvili racked up eight straight victories, including a knockout win over Marlon Moraes and a decision victory over Jose Aldo in his last fight.
Both fighters have impressive resumes, with Yan having one more fight than Dvalishvili in their professional careers. Yan is 16-4 while Dvalishvili is 15-4 in their professional records. Both fighters are primarily stand-up fighters, although they have competent grappling skills. Yan and Dvalishvili, each, have one submission victory on their resumes.
When it comes to skill, Petr Yan has the advantage in the striking department. However, in terms of momentum, Merab Dvalishvili is riding an eight-fight win-streak going into this weekend's fight night card.
Despite losing his last two, Yan was in highly competitive and closely contested bouts. In his second-last fight, he fought Aljamain Sterling as interim champion in a title unification bout. However, Sterling handily dominated the grappling exchanges and successfully defended his title against the Russian fighter at UFC 273.
In his last fight, Yan lost a controversial unanimous decision against Sean O'Malley, despite securing multiple takedowns and controlling O'Malley in the fight. The loss to O'Malley almost made Yan quit the fight game.
However, Yan has a chance at redemption against Dvalishvili this weekend if he plays his cards right.