LAS VEGAS (AP) — Merab Dvalishvili said fighters can win and be respectful at the same time, and even if his opponent Saturday night, Petr Yan, takes an occasional verbal jab, he’s not going to sweat it.

Besides, Dvalishvili will have plenty other things to sweat about, such as making weight, which he sounded confident he would do when he puts his bantamweight belt on the line in UFC 323.

“I never like to make it drama,” Dvalishvili said. “It’s a fight. We are professional fighters. The people will watch anyway.

“I don’t like to talk trash for no reason. I don’t like somebody to disrespect me for no reason.”

This is the last UFC pay-per-view fight because it agreed to a seven-year contract with Paramount Plus under which future bouts will be on the streaming service.

Dvalishvili, wh

See Full Page