Petr Yan at his very best was better than the man some believe to be the greatest 135-pound mixed martial artist of all-time.
Thumping jabs, brutal body shots and sublime takedown defense carried the Russian to a five-round unanimous decision over Merab Dvalishvili, as he reclaimed the undisputed bantamweight crown in the UFC 323 headliner on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Yan (20-5, 12-4 UFC) swept the scorecards with 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47 marks from the cageside judges in what was by all accounts a comprehensive performance.
Dvalishvili (21-5, 14-3 UFC) could not get the challenger on the ground with any regularity, and while he connected with a few overhand rights, he was simply outclassed in the standup exchanges.