Petr Yan delivered a lights-out performance at UFC 323, defeating Merab Dvalishvili to reclaim the bantamweight crown.
Yan had fight fans on their feet early, connecting with a big right hand that stunned the defending champ. Dvalishvili immediately went to his grappling, but was unable to get Yan to the mat. However, Yan scored his own takedown in the second stanza, getting Dvalishvili to the mat before ‘The Machine’ reversed the position.
Yan shot back up to his feet in short order and stayed upright for the remainder of the round.
Yan continued to find success in the third, picking up Dvalishvili near the fence and slamming him on the canvas headfirst.