Yan will get a second chance to beat Dvalishvili on Saturday, but this go-round the UFC bantamweight championship will be on the line. “The Machine” earned a unanimous decision victory over Yan in 2023.
During an interview with FOX Sports AustraliaFormer UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker shared his belief that lightning will strike twice for the reigning 135-pound titleholder (via MMA Junkie).
“Obviously he’s a wrestler, and his wrestling game is so strong and he uses it to such devastating effect,” Whittaker said. “He’s just getting better in my eyes. Anyone can testify that his weakness is his stand-up, but over the last five fights, I will say, his stand-up has gotten significantly better. And I think having to hold his ground with the caliber of striker that he was has just forced him to climb to a new level of striking defensive power, striking safety, but also striking offensively once he establishes the threat of the takedown.”
“Other than a puncher’s opportunity, I don’t see where a weakness of his lies at this point. There’s always a puncher’s opportunity in every fight. He shoots at the same time that Petr decides to throw a knee – it can happen. It can happen in any fight against anyone. Let’s take that piece out of the equation. I don’t see it going any other way. I think he’s gotten stronger defensively with his striking. I think he’s much more comfortable hitting and mixing in takedowns.”
Dvalishvili said this recently Newsweek Sports that he considers his rematch against Yan as another fight. He said he expects Yan to be motivated on fight night. Dvalishvili also noted that rematches can be difficult to prepare for.
You can count on BJPenn.com to give you all the live UFC 323 coverage you need. Check the homepage on Saturday for live results from the first preliminary fight to the main event. You’ll also see video highlights and post-fight reactions from the pros.
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