Merab Dvalishvili: Shattered Nose, But Refuses Surgery, Prepares for Yan Rematch

UFC fighter Merab Dvalishvili recently suffered a severe nose injury during a training session. However, despite the seriousness of the damage, "The Machine" has expressed his firm intention not to miss his planned fights this year.

Dvalishvili is seemingly preparing for an immediate title rematch against the reigning bantamweight champion, Petr Yan. This will be the third encounter between the athletes, with their rivalry currently tied at 1-1. Their highly anticipated trilogy bout is expected to take place in the second or third quarter of this year to finally determine a victor. It's worth remembering that last year at UFC 323, Dvalishvili lost to Yan in a grueling five-round battle via unanimous decision.

The Georgian fighter, known for his relentless activity, successfully defended his 135-pound title three times in 2025. To cap off the year triumphantly and become the first UFC champion to defend a belt four times in a single year, "The Machine" faced Yan again at UFC 323 but ultimately fell short.

Despite recovering from his previous fight and his recent nose injury, Dvalishvili is determined to return to the octagon. He updated fans that his nose was severely re-injured – this time during sparring after taking a knee. Doctors informed Merab that for a complete recovery and to straighten his nose, significant reconstructive surgery would be required, which would lead to a year-long career break.

Merab Dvalishvili plans to fix his busted-up nose only after he retires

However, Merab Dvalishvili is adamantly refusing surgery for now. He admits that he finds it difficult to breathe through one nostril but plans to address his nose only after concluding his fighting career. In a recent social media video, he stated:

“My nose is fu*ked up. Even worse and more cracked in the same direction. My bones are broken inside, and on one side, I cannot even breathe… My nose is broken in two places. The doctor said if they want to fix my nose and make it straight, they would have to re-break other bones too, and it would take another year to heal. Of course, I don’t want to do that. Otherwise, he said, I can keep it like this and do surgery after retirement. I told him I’m not planning to retire for the next 20 years… I am gonna deal with it.”

Thus, Dvalishvili is fully committed to continuing his fighting career, refusing to let his nose injury delay his UFC activity this year. His opponent, Petr Yan, also recently underwent lower back surgery but has already returned to training, promising an imminent and fierce encounter between these two titans.