Merab Dvalishvili’s run at the top of the UFC ’s bantamweight division came to an end on Saturday night.
Attempting to make his fourth successful championship defense of 2025, “The Machine” dropped a unanimous decision to Petr Yan in the UFC 323 main event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. While Dvalishvili’s relentless pressure and grappling carried him past Yan in their first meeting, the Russian came back with an improved performance in the rematch to capture bantamweight gold.
Resolve of a Champion
After the setback, Dvalishvili released a brief statement on social media.