Michael Bisping would like to see Merab Dvalishvili take a backseat after a busy 2025.
Dvalishvili (21-5 MMA, 14-3 UFC) attempted a fourth bantamweight title defense in a rematch against Petr Yan (20-5 MMA, 12-4 UFC) this past Saturday at UFC 323, but he fell short in a unanimous decision loss.
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“The Machine” was looking to break the record for most successful UFC title defenses in a year, but now that he lost his belt, Bisping advises him to rest and recover.
“Merab probably deserves the rematch if we’re being honest,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “Look at the body of work then yeah, he probably does, but there’s Umar Nurmagomedov out there. I would say let Yan defend for a minute. Take a break, brother. Have a little bit of time off. You’ve done incredible things.
“You no doubt earned a tremendous amount of money. You’ve represented your country at the highest level, and you have put yourself through it. Have three, four, five months off. Rest on your laurels. Reap the rewards of your riches and your spoils, OK? Relax. Take a break. Let the body and the mind relax a little bit then come back and look to take your throne.”
Dvalishvili saw his 14-fight winning streak snapped, which included title defenses over Umar Nurmagomedov, Sean O’Malley, and Cory Sandhagen. Dvalishvili also holds a prior win over Yan in March 2023.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Michael Bisping urges Merab Dvalishvili to take time off after UFC 323
