Petr Yan recaptured the undisputed UFC bantamweight title last night (Sat., Dec. 6, 2025) at UFC 323 LIVE on ESPN+ pay-per-view (PPV) from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, shocking reigning champion Merab Dvalishvili with a sensational main event decision win.
Yan was operating on another level early into the first round when he cracked Merab with a powerful right hand that really caught the champion’s attention. That forced a heavy wrestling attack from Dvalishvili, but Yan was well-balanced and stayed on his feet. Yan surprised Merab again midway through the second round with a shocking takedown of his own, but Merab scrambled off his back and the fight returned to the feet.
Things turned crazier in the third round when a takedown from Yan along the cage slammed Dvalishvili on his head. The champion looked to be seriously hurt, but he rebounded quite quickly. In fact, Merab regained composure to lift Yan over his shoulder, carry him to the middle of the cage, and slammed him down. Yan returned the favor late in the third with a whipping body kick that temporarily stung Dvalishvili.
Yan went back to the well in the fourth round with another attack to the body. Dvalishvili was badly hurt, but he kept moving and avoided a fight-ending sequence. Yan scored another punch to the body as the crowd broke out in a roar. Dvalishvili retreated again and kept eating heavy shots. It was more offense for Yan in the fifth round as Dvalishvili went for broke and tried to get back into the fight. Without the threat of a Merab takedown Yan was able to operate with space and confidence.
In the end, it was Yan who did more than enough over the course of five rounds to end Dvalishvili’s 14-fight win streak and to become the newest UFC bantamweight champion.
Check out the video highlights below:
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