Russian fighter exacts revenge in dominant performance, ending Dvalishvili’s historic win streak
Las Vegas, Nevada — In one of the biggest upsets of 2025, Petr Yan delivered a masterclass performance to dethrone UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 323 on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena, reclaiming the title he lost in 2021.
Yan dominated from start to finish to nearly sweep the scorecards with scores of 49-46, 49-46, and 50-45, becoming only the third fighter in UFC bantamweight history to reclaim the championship after losing it, joining Dominick Cruz and T.J. Dillashaw in that exclusive club.
Sweet Revenge After 2023 Defeat
The victory was particularly sweet for the 32-year-old Russian, who had suffered a one-sided unanimous decision loss to Dvalishvili in March 2023. That defeat saw “The Machine” set a UFC record with 49 takedown attempts in a single fight. But this rematch told a completely different story.
Yan battered his rival on the feet, repeatedly hurt Dvalishvili with paralyzing body shots, and even won the takedown war, stopping 27 of Dvalishvili’s 29 attempts while securing five takedowns of his own.
A Dominant Display
From the opening bell, Yan looked noticeably bigger and more prepared than in their first encounter. His striking was precise and powerful, with sharp jabs and devastating right hands marking up Dvalishvili’s face early. But it was the body work that proved most effective, with brutal kicks to the midsection drawing visible grimaces and even screams of pain from the champion.
The fight’s turning point came in the third round when Yan landed a crushing body kick that clearly hurt Dvalishvili. He continued to target that area throughout the championship rounds, sapping the Georgian’s legendary cardio and relentless pace.
Historic Streak Ends
Dvalishvili entered the night riding the longest win streak in UFC bantamweight division history at 13 fights, and the fourth-longest win streak in overall company history at 14 fights. The Georgian hadn’t tasted defeat since April 21, 2018, when Ricky Simon submitted him.
The 34-year-old Dvalishvili had been attempting to make history by becoming the first UFC champion to successfully defend their title four times in a single calendar year. In 2025 alone, he had defeated Umar Nurmagomedov, Sean O’Malley, and Cory Sandhagen before facing Yan.
Path to Redemption
Yan (20-5) came into the fight as a significant underdog, with some sportsbooks listing him at +300. Since his 2023 loss to Dvalishvili, he had rebuilt himself with victories over Song Yadong, Deiveson Figueiredo, and Marcus McGhee to earn this rematch opportunity.
“I’m very, very happy. I worked so hard, I prepared so hard for this moment. This is my life,” an emotional Yan said through a translator after the fight. “I want to give the props to that team. I fought twice with Aljamain [Sterling], twice with Merab. That’s an incredibly hard, strong team.”
What’s Next?
With this victory, Yan begins his second reign as UFC bantamweight champion. He first captured the title in 2020 by defeating José Aldo, before losing it to Aljamain Sterling via disqualification in 2021 due to an illegal knee.
For Dvalishvili (21-5), the loss ends a remarkable run that saw him establish himself as one of the division’s greatest competitors. The question now is whether he’ll work his way back to another title shot or if Yan’s dominance signals a changing of the guard at 135 pounds.
The night also saw Joshua Van capture the flyweight title after Alexandre Pantoja suffered a freak arm injury just 26 seconds into their co-main event bout.
