UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili doesn’t mind confronting the temptation of junk food head-on during the final stretch of his weight cut for UFC 323.
Following a week off, the UFC returns this Saturday for the promotion’s penultimate event of the year. UFC 323 it set to go down at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV, on Saturday, and the stacked card boasts two title fights at the top of the bill.
Looking to defend his bantamweight belt for what would be a record-setting fourth time this year, Dvalishvili headlines UFC 323 in a rematch with the division’s former titleholder Petr Yan.
Merab Dvalishvili Uses Pizza To Aid UFC 323 Weight Cut
Four title fights within a year is an insane rate of activity by the standards of most UFC champions, especially given that Dvalishvili already went the full 25-minute distance twice in his meetings with Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov.
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Showing no signs of slowing down, “The Machine” is making headlines during UFC 323 fight week for a video posted on his Instagram story where Dvalishvili is smelling pizza in between bites of the healthier food that he’s limited to during the final phase of his weight cut.
#UFC323 Merab Dvalishvili says the weight cut is going good… and then continues eating 😭😂 pic.twitter.com/efQQKP3ABK
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) December 1, 2025Petr Yan Looks To Reclaim UFC Gold on Saturday Night
The viral video is just another example of Dvalishvili’s impressive discipline, and fans know that the Georgian will need to be at his absolute best if he hopes to make UFC history and defend his belt for the fourth time this year when he meets Yan.
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Following a 7-0 start to his UFC career that culminated with an interim-title winning performance against UFC legend Jose Aldo, Yan was promoted to undisputed UFC champion but famously lost his belt to Aljamain Sterling via controversial disqualification at UFC 251. “No Mercy” claimed the interim bantamweight strap once again in his next outing against perennial top contender Sandhagen before losing a rematch to Sterling, which kicked off a three-fight skid capped off by a unanimous decision loss to Dvalishvili.
Petr Yan (red gloves) fights Merab Dvalshvili (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Virgin Hotel. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Yan took nearly a year off before defeating Song Yadong in his return last year, and the 32-year-old now carries the momentum of a three-fight win streak into UFC 323 and will try to avenge his previous loss to Dvalishvili and spoil the Georgian’s plans for what would be a historic victory.
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