Former UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan revealed he fought Merab Dvalishvili significantly compromised ahead of a likely rematch.

UFC bantamweight titleholder Merab Dvalishvili retained his title in largely dominant fashion against Cory Sandhagen at UFC 320 last Saturday. Despite Sandhagen proving to be a tough test on the feet, Dvalishvili challenged Sandhagen with his vastly improved striking en route to a decision victory.

After UFC 320, Dvalishvili offered Petr Yan a rematch of their UFC record-setting bout in 2023. Dvalishvili landed a record-setting number of successful takedowns en route to a lopsided victory.

Yan has won three consecutive fights since that bout, including most recently against Marcus McGhee at UFC Abu Dhabi. As Yan makes a strong case to run it back with Dvalishvili, the former titleholder

Petr Yan reveals he fought Merab Dvalishvili with a fractured hand in record-breaking first bout.

During a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Yan revealed he was at a significant physical disadvantage for his first fight with Dvalishvili.

“I’ve been waiting for this chance and I’m ready to fight in December. I believe it’s going to be a great fight, last time I was compromised, I was at 50 percent,” Yan said.

“If you just look at the stats, you can see that I only used my right hand 3 to 4 times. I couldn’t punch with my right hand. I also couldn’t use it to defend the wrestling, those are just facts. When you compare it to my other fights, that’s the hand I used the most.

“I can’t say that I don’t regret (fighting), but at least I have the opportunity to win the rematch.”

Dvalishvili outpointed Cory Sandhagen by unanimous decision last Saturday at UFC 320. He’s defeated Umar Nurmagomedov and Sean O’Malley in title defenses during his reign.

Yan presents a well-rounded skillset that could give Dvalishvili some issues in a potential rematch. But stopping Dvalishvili’s ferocious pace and pressure will be tough to handle for the former UFC champion.