Russia's Petr Yan to wear flag shorts for UFC 333 title fight with Dvalishvili
In short
UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan of Russia will wear shorts with the Russian flag when he fights Georgia's Merab Dvalishvili on 24 October at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi. It is their third bout, and the series stands at 1-1.
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Petr Yan, the Russian UFC bantamweight champion, will wear shorts with the Russian flag for his fight against Georgia's Merab Dvalishvili, TASS, RBC and RIA Novosti reported on 20 October. RIA Novosti cited the UFC Russia Telegram channel. The bout is set for 24 October at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
RIA Novosti described the fight as a title bout. It said the two are level at 1-1. Dvalishvili won the first meeting by unanimous decision in March 2023, and Yan won the rematch by unanimous decision in December 2025 and regained the UFC bantamweight belt. Yan is 33 and has 20 wins and five losses in MMA, the agency said. [ 4 ]
Why it matters
The documents give no basis for wider significance beyond the sporting event; Russian outlets reported the choice of flag shorts for the title bout.
Key facts
- Petr Yan, the UFC bantamweight champion, fights Merab Dvalishvili on 24 October at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- It will be the third fight between the two, and RIA Novosti described it as a title bout. [ 1 , 4 ]
- Yan will enter the fight in shorts with the Russian flag, RIA Novosti reported, citing the UFC Russia Telegram channel. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The series is level at 1-1: Dvalishvili won by unanimous decision in March 2023, and Yan won the rematch by unanimous decision in December 2025. [ 4 ]
- RIA Novosti said Yan regained the UFC bantamweight belt in December 2025. [ 4 ]
- Yan is 33 and has 20 wins and five losses in MMA, according to RIA Novosti. [ 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Who is the favourite in the fight. RBC's headline promises a look at the favourite, but its summary does not say who it is.
- Where the flag-shorts detail comes from. Only RIA Novosti's text names its source, the UFC Russia Telegram channel; the TASS and RBC items are headlines and summaries.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- RBC published a preview of the third Yan-Dvalishvili fight. [ 1 ]
- TASS reported Yan would wear shorts with the Russian flag. [ 2 ]
- RBC reported the flag shorts for the title fight in Abu Dhabi. [ 3 ]
- RIA Novosti reported the shorts, citing the UFC Russia Telegram channel, and gave the rivalry history. [ 4 ]