ARLINGTON, Texas – Merab Dvalishvili remembers what Hunter Campbell told him moments after he lost the title to Petr Yan in December – and he’s holding the promotion to his words.
Following his RAF 9 match Saturday, Dvalishvili (21-5 MMA, 14-3 UFC) was asked when his next fight will be. Dvalishvili said that he’s ready to go and all signs point toward a trilogy fight vs. Petr Yan (20-5 MMA, 12-4 UFC). However, due to medical (and potentially leisure) reasons, Yan is not yet ready.
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“The same night when I fought Petr Yan, I saw Hunter Campbell,” Dvalishvili told MMA Junkie and other reporters backstage at College Park Center. “He told me I was fighting next Petr Yan. He told me, ‘Take your time. When you heal up, call me.’ Of course, I called him a couple weeks later. He was just waiting for Petr Yan. Petr did some small surgery and then he said he was ready for June at White House, but I guess he’s still taking his time. I saw he did his teeth. He did something with his teeth. Now I see he’s on vacation. I haven’t heard anything from UFC. If our fight is in July or August, I must know. It’s not happening. Even in September, I must know. But I’m hoping he will come back soon.”
Dvalishvili brushed off any talk that somehow he might be passed over by another contender, even with a notable bantamweight contender bout between Sean O’Malley and Aiemann Zahabi scheduled for UFC Freedom 250 on June 14.
“UFC told me there are no interim belts in this weight class,” Dvalishvili said. “Nothing else. It doesn’t matter if Sean wins or Zahabi wins. I’m fighting Yan. I think Yan is the best guy. Right now, he beat me – and I want to fight the best guy. That’s why I always wanted to take the best guys who deserve it. … Now, it’s been many months and he’s taking his time. So I think everybody wants to see this trilogy fight. It’s going to be good.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Merab Dvalishvili explains why UFC trilogy with Petr Yan isn’t booked yet
