Where his clash with Aldo at UFC 278 last summer was a thrilling personal highlight, Saturday’s showdown with Yan is a matchup with a former champion that could propel him into a championship opportunity of his own.
“This is a big opportunity for me; I’ve been working hard for this,” he said of his clash with Yan, who enters on a two-fight skid and having lost three of his last four, including a pair of championship bouts to Dvalishvili’s best friend and chief training partner, Aljamain Sterling. “Now there are just a couple days left and I have to show up.
“This means everything for me — I’m fighting former champion Petr Yan. He’s a great fighter, we all know, and a dangerous fighter for me, but I have to prove to everyone and make my people happy, my team.”
The Scorecard | UFC 285: Jones vs Gane
Despite his lack of recent positive results, no one, Dvalishvili very much included, sees Yan as anything other than one of the very best bantamweights on the planet.
“Usually after three rounds, I’m not even tired, but now with Petr, I think it will be tough because he always comes back in the fourth and fifth rounds even stronger; we all saw that with Aljo and with Sandhagen,” he said of his Russian opponent. “He’s been fighting five rounds many times — against Jose Aldo, and he has two fights with ‘Tiger’ Magomedov in ACA, as well.
“This guy is good, I know,” he added with a smirk and a laugh. “I respect him and I’m not accepting this will be easy and I can make him tired. I have to prepare because he always brings it. Five rounds? He’s been there, and this is my first time. Everything I do with him, I have to do hard — I have to throw hard and wrestle hard.
“It’s going to be a good fight.”
