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Merab Says Russia and Georgia's Political Tensions Fueled His First Petr Yan Fight

The bantamweight champion spoke about the edge he carried into his win over Yan in 2023, admitting politics played a role. “He was from Russia, I’m from Georgia… I don’t like Russian politics, Merab said. "Every time we have a competition against Russians, we have to win," he said. Dvalishvili vs. Yan 2 now headlines UFC 323 on December 6.