Merab Dvalishvili prepares for fight with Petr Yan following surgery

Merab Dvalishvili has expressed his commitment to waiting for a fight against Petr Yan, who recently underwent minor back surgery. After losing to Yan at UFC 323 last December, Dvalishvili (21-5 MMA, 14-3 UFC) emphasizes the importance of competing against Yan because of their tied series. He is recovering from a broken nose but remains focused on training. Dvalishvili will also face Henry Cejudo in a main event on July 11 at Tbilisi Arena in Georgia, while awaiting Yan's return.

• 11:40 PMYahoo Sports — Merab Dvalishvili will wait for Petr Yan – no matter how long it takes