At UFC 323, Merab Dvalishvili’s fourth defense of his bantamweight championship in 2025 did not go as ‘The Machine’ expected as Petr Yan played the spoiler.
Despite Dvalishvili’s relentless pressure, Yan did not back down and made the better shots. He also scored takedowns of his own and took the win by unanimous decision.
said Dvalishvili after the loss that he wanted to stand and punch Yan, and not wrestle as much as he usually does. The Georgian wanted to put on an exciting show for the fans and despite the loss he was the most active champion, with three title defenses this year.
Pros reacted to Merab Dvalishvili’s title loss
UFC two-division champion Islam Makhachev posted on X:
“Merab, you are one of the greatest to ever step into this cage. Congratulations. Petya, you deserve it.”
Justin Gaethje wrote:
“What a performance from Yan. World class. #UFC323”
Jiří Procházka posted on X:
“Congratulations @PetrYanUFC, very smart and sustained performance.”
Kamaru Usman wrote:
“What a fight!! Congratulations to both men @MerabDvalishvil & @PetrYanUFC #UFC323”
Merab Dvalishvili’s good friend and former UFC champion Aljamain Sterling wrote on X:
“Congratulations to Yan and his team. They fought well and made great adjustments. I can’t wait to rewatch it with Merab and plan for the comeback! Some things seemed a little off, but maybe that’s what Yan was doing? We’ll just watch, heal, and go again. This is a fighter’s journey. I hope you all enjoyed the fight. See you next time!”
Belal Muhammad wrote:
“Great fight”
Merab Dvalishvili wants to reverse it. However, Yan believes that ‘The Machine’ should earn his way to another title shot, just like ‘No Mercy.’
‘The Machine’ also had a message for fans. After the loss he posted on X:
“Tonight wasn’t my night, but I will come back stronger than ever. Thank you everyone for your support. 🙏”
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