Merab Dvalishvili vs Petr Yan 2 - UFC 323 press conference faceoff

LAS VEGAS – Merab Dvalishvili and Petr Yan got a first chance to size each other up ahead of their UFC 323 rematch at Thursday's pre-fight press conference.

Dvalishvili (21-4 MMA, 14-2 UFC) looks to further solidify his 2025 Fighter of the Year case when he attempts to make a record-setting fourth title defense of the calendar year when he puts bantamweight gold up for grabs against former champion Yan (19-5 MMA, 11-4 UFC), whom he beat by unanimous decision in their first encounter at UFC Fight Night 221 in March 2023.

They will run it back in Saturday's headliner at T-Mobile Arena (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN2/ESPN+/Disney+/FX), but first had to sit in front of fans and media to answer questions before a staredown.

Things got physical when Dvalishvili and Yan faced off for the first time ahead of their initial meeting, but both men were more restrained this time around.

Check out the video above to see the Dvalishvili vs Yan faceoff from the UFC 323 pre-fight press conference.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 323 video: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Petr Yan press conference faceoff

Reporting by Mike Bohn and Ken Hathaway, MMA Junkie / MMA Junkie

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect