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Former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili’s longtime coach revealed a major handicap he’ll fight through at UFC 333.

Former UFC bantamweight titleholder Merab Dvalishvili and current champ Petr Yan will battle in one of the biggest fights of the year this Saturday at UFC 333. Dvalishvili and Yan will fight in a bantamweight trilogy to settle their long-standing rivalry.

Dvalishvili is looking for revenge after Yan defeated him by unanimous decision at UFC 323 last December. Before that, Dvalishvili was considered by many as arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in Mixed Martial Arts.

But as Dvalishvili prepares to potentially reclaim the bantamweight throne, the former titleholder will enter the cage at less than 10o percent health, according to his longtime coach.

Ray Longo: Merab Dvalishvili’s nose could be a handicap in UFC 333 title fight

During a recent episode of the Anik & Florian Podcast, Dvalishvili’s coach Ray Longo revealed a major handicap the former champ will have to fight through at UFC 333.

“He’s going to get hit in that nose, and that nose looks like it’s going to bleed. He chose not to have it fixed before the fight, and that’s just…optically, if it’s a close fight and he’s bleeding all over the place, who the hell knows?” Longo said of Dvalishvili.

“It’s going to be a bit of a problem – as long as it doesn’t affect his breathing, that’s more of what I would be concerned about. Can he do what he wants to do for 25 minutes? That’s where I’d be concerned.

“I hope everyone is on the same page out there, and I think he gets the job done.”

Dvalishvili opted not to get surgery on a broken nose he injured during training earlier this year in Las Vegas. Despite his ailment, Dvalishvili was medically cleared to fight this weekend in Abu Dhabi.

What is your prediction for Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili 3? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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