Dvalishvili attempted to set a new record for most successful UFC title defenses in a single year on Saturday. “The Machine” could not achieve this feat, because he has finally met his match in Petr Yan. Dvalishvili had a unanimous decision victory over Yan in 2023, but their rematch went very differently.
Yan defeated Dvalishvili via unanimous decision to regain the UFC bantamweight championship. After the fight, White posted on social media an image of Dvalishvili’s face after the fight with a one-word caption.
Dana White just shared a photo of Merab Dvalishvili’s face #UFC323 pic.twitter.com/cl8xkvWaCc
— Nolan King (@mma_kings) December 7, 2025
“Savage,” White wrote in the caption.
During his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Dvalishvili discussed the end of his 135-pound title reign. Dvalishvili has set his sights on a trilogy fight.
“I tried to give everyone an entertaining fight, and I lost today,” Dvalishvili said. “It was a bad game today. Congratulations to him, but I want a rematch. I want to turn it back.”
Dvalishvili continued with a short statement about his X account.
“Tonight was not my night, but I will come back stronger than ever,” Dvalishvili wrote. “Thank you everyone for your support.”
What will happen next in the UFC bantamweight title picture remains to be seen. While “The Machine” hopes for a rematch, a pivotal 135-pound fight will take place on the UFC 324 card. Umar Nurmagomedov takes on Deiveson Figueiredo. Nurmagomedov sent out a message on social media, promising to become the No. 1 contender after January 24.
Ahead of UFC 323, Dvalishvili said Newsweek Sports that he planned to remain active in 2026. Whether he will take a break after his defeat to Yan remains to be seen. Stay with BJPenn.com for the latest updates on the UFC bantamweight title picture.
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