Merab Dvalishvili trilogy with Petr Yan BLOCKED from UFC White House Card

The UFC’s highly anticipated White House event during President Trump’s birthday celebration in June has hit a significant roadblock, and it involves one of the most compelling trilogy storylines in bantamweight history. Merab Dvalishvili has revealed that the promotion explicitly informed him that a third fight against rival Petr Yan will not take place at the prestigious venue—not due to competitive reasons, but because of Yan’s Russian nationality.

Merab Dvalishvili revealed that the UFC told him a trilogy fight between him and Petr Yan will not happen at the White House because Petr Yan is from Russia.

“UFC told me our fight will not happen at the White House on Trump’s birthday in June, because he is Russian, and… pic.twitter.com/UV3XJVPQ0M

— MMA Pros Pick (@MMA_PROS_PICK_) January 18, 2026

“UFC told me our fight will not happen at the White House on Trump’s birthday in June, because he is Russian, and that’s impossible,” Dvalishvili disclosed, spotlighting the geopolitical complications that occasionally intersect with combat sports booking.

This revelation carries massive implications for the UFC’s marquee White House card. If Russian fighters are prohibited from competing at the event, the promotion faces the loss of several elite competitors on its roster. Beyond Yan, this restriction would effectively sideline other top-tier Russian talents including middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev and welterweight champion Islam Makhachev.

The Dvalishvili-Yan trilogy represents unfinished business at its finest. Their previous encounters created one of the most dramatic rivalries in recent bantamweight memory, with both fighters leaving points on the table in their competitive matchups. A third installment would have been a marquee attraction for a White House event, bringing mainstream attention to the UFC’s biggest stage alongside the political grandeur of the occasion.

However, the geopolitical landscape has complicated these plans. International relations between the United States and Russia remain strained, and the White House—as the residence and workplace of the President—operates under strict protocols regarding foreign nationals, particularly those from adversarial nations.

For the UFC, this creates a logistical and promotional headache. Losing access to Yan, Chimaev, and Makhachev simultaneously diminishes the card’s international star power and forces the promotion to recalibrate its marketing strategy. The organization will need to pivot toward alternative headliners and compelling matchups featuring American and allied-nation fighters to maintain the event’s prestige.

While Dvalishvili’s revelation is disappointing for fans hoping to witness their trilogy conclusion on such a historic platform, it underscores the reality that even in professional fighting, global politics plays a role in determining where and how combat sports’ biggest moments unfold.

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