The UFC bantamweight division is heading toward some potentially dramatic waters in the aftermath of Merab Dvalishvili’s dominant win over former champion Petr Yan in the UFC Fight Night 221 main event.
Dvalishvili (16-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC), who is primary training partner of current 135-pound champion Aljamain Sterling, extended his winning streak to nine fights on Saturday when he earned a unanimous decision win over Yan in their headlining bout at The Theater at Virgins Hotels in Las Vegas.
With Dvalishvili coming off back-to-back wins over former UFC champs in Yan and Jose Aldo, the realities of his relationship with Sterling are starting to settle in. UFC president Dana White sent a warning to “The Machine” that his path forward is about to get very complication if he and Sterling (22-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC) stick true to their promise to never fight each other.
