Petr Yan bloodies Merab Dvalishvili to regain Bantamweight Gold at UFC 323. In a gritty five-round battle that had the arena roaring, Yan unleashed his sharp boxing, relentless counters and brutal pressure to reclaim the bantamweight title and silenced every doubt surrounding his comeback.
The UFC returned to T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on December 6, 2025, with a massive bantamweight title fight headlining UFC 323. In the main event, reigning champion Merab “The Machine” Dvalishvili went to war against former champion Petr “No Mercy” Yan in one of the most anticipated matchups of the year.
Merab “The Machine” Dvalishvili has spent the last year proving exactly why he sits at the top of the bantamweight division. He first turned heads in 2025 with a commanding victory over Umar Nurmagomedov, outworking one of the most elusive fighters in the division over five exhausting rounds. Then came UFC 316, where he submitted Sean O’Malley in their rematch using a crushing north-south choke and sending a message that his grappling dominance remains unmatched. Most recently, at UFC 320, he dismantled top contender Cory Sandhagen across five rounds of pressure, pace, and precision. His performances have not only solidified his place at the top but have sparked conversations about whether he is one of the greatest bantamweights in UFC history. In every fight, Merab shows the same endless cardio, suffocating wrestling, and a willingness to drag opponents into deep waters.
While Merab has been extending his reign, Petr Yan has been rebuilding his empire. Once known for his clinical striking, Yan has spent his last few fights polishing the sharp edges that once made him champion. His comeback started with a hard-earned victory over former flyweight king Deiveson Figueiredo in late 2024. It was a gritty, five-round battle where Yan proved his durability after being briefly dropped in the fourth round. Instead of folding, he surged back, sweeping the final minutes and sealing a unanimous decision win. He followed that momentum with another solid victory in mid-2025, defeating rising contender Marcus McGhee in Abu Dhabi. These wins have rebuilt his confidence, restored his momentum, and positioned him perfectly for another shot at the belt.
The two touched gloves to start, and the fight opened with a slow feel-out pace. Merab Dvalishvili began firing shots at Petr Yan’s face, immediately drawing crowd reaction. Yan fired back, and the two circled the Octagon trading punches. Dvalishvili tried to press Yan against the fence for control, but Yan slipped out and they went right back to striking. Yan snapped a clean jab to Dvalishvili’s face. Merab instantly dropped levels, went for a leg, but Yan defended perfectly. Eventually, Dvalishvili dragged him back to the fence again, shot for a takedown, but Yan stuffed it once more.
Round 2 started quite fast, with Dvalishvili throwing fast punches and coming out aggressive. He pinned Yan to the fence and shot another takedown, but Yan once again shut it down. They returned to the center and traded punches. Yan shot his own takedown and got it, but Dvalishvili immediately reversed position and took control. Yan scrambled up, and both men returned to their feet. Dvalishvili drove Yan to the fence again, then reset to center. Dvalishvili changed levels once more for a takedown, but again Yan defended.
Round 3 started with a leg kick from Yan. Dvalishvili answered with punches and tried to pin Yan to the fence, but Yan reversed and scored a takedown. Dvalishvili popped up right away, and they returned to the middle. They traded punches, and Dvalishvili hoisted Yan up briefly before finally taking him down. Yan stood and tried to escape, but Dvalishvili trapped him against the cage and shot again, only for Yan to defend. Both traded punches and kicks, and Dvalishvili attempted yet another takedown but Yan held the line. Near the end of Round 3, Yan had Dvalishvili stuck to the cage until the horn.
Round 4 opened with a leg kick from Yan. They fired punches back and forth, and Dvalishvili shot again but Yan reversed position and pressed Dvalishvili against the cage this time. Dvalishvili tried tying Yan up with his legs and arms, but Yan defended and reversed cleanly. They got back to striking in the center. Late in the round, Dvalishvili shot again and missed.
Low kicks from Yan kept pushing Dvalishvili backward. Yan landed a jab and an inside leg kick landed clean from Yan. Dvalishvili was moving nonstop, but not putting much offense behind it. Yan dug a shot to the body. Dvalishvili cracked him with a short elbow, and Yan answered with a right hand. Dvalishvili shot again but Yan stuffed it and landed a sharp counter left. A leg kick hit Dvalishvili, though he didn’t react at all.
Dvalishvili then landed another elbow inside and shot another takedown. Dvalishvili kept chaining attempts, but Yan stayed upright. Yan landed a left in tight and then popped a jab as they reset to center. Dvalishvili continued finding that short elbow, likely something he could have used earlier. He tried a guillotine, but Yan turned it into a tackle-style takedown. Dvalishvili popped back up instantly.
About a minute remaining, Yan ripped to the body and Dvalishvili backed up. Yan landed a knee in the clinch after stuffing another takedown. Another kick to the body landed for Yan. Both men threw heavy to close the fight and Yan closed it with a final takedown. The judges ultimately scored the fight 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47 as Yan becomes a two-time UFC bantamweight champion while simultaneously ending Dvalishvili’s reign.
“I’m very happy to stand here with the championship belt,” Yan said after his win. “Thank you so much to all the fans. I’m very, very happy. I worked so hard. I prepared so hard for this moment. This is my life. “I want to give props to that team. That’s an incredibly hard, strong team. Thank you so much, Dana [White]. UFC changed my life.”
“I tried to give an entertaining fight and I lost today,” Dvalishvili said. “He was better. Congratulations to him but I want a rematch, I want to run it back. “It’s always hard for me to make 135 … it was hard but I’m not making any excuse. I try to give everybody a good fight. I’m a good company man. I’m happy. We try to [entertain people] He was a better fighter today.”
