\t\tTLDR<\/p>\n
Petr Yan defeated Merab Dvalishvili by unanimous<\/a> decision at UFC 323 on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas to claim the bantamweight championship Petr Yan recaptured the UFC bantamweight championship on Saturday night at UFC 323 in Las Vegas<\/a>. He defeated Merab Dvalishvili by unanimous decision at T-Mobile Arena. The victory marked a redemption story for Yan, who lost to Dvalishvili in their first meeting.<\/p>\n Yan\u2019s record now stands at 20-5 in MMA and 12-4 in UFC competition. Dvalishvili fell to 21-5 in MMA and 14-3 in the UFC. The five-round fight showcased Yan\u2019s ability to solve a puzzle that no other fighter had managed to crack.<\/p>\n UFC analyst Joe Rogan praised the performance on a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast. \u201cWhat a masterclass,\u201d Rogan said. \u201cWhen you\u2019re going to fight a guy like Merab, that is the masterclass.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe Rogan comments on Petr Yan’s amazing performance at UFC 323 \ud83c\udfcb\ufe0f\u200d\u2642\ufe0f \ud83c\udfc6#Joerogan<\/a> #PetrYan<\/a> #MMA<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/LsJJmhY1TC<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Sportskeeda MMA (@sportskeedaMMA) December 10, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Rogan emphasized the difficulty of facing Dvalishvili\u2019s fighting style. \u201cHe put on a clinic,\u201d Rogan said. \u201cHis training camp must have been hell, had to be hell, and it looked like it.\u201d<\/p>\n Yan\u2019s Strategic Victory<\/p>\n Yan outstruck Dvalishvili throughout the fight. He also landed more takedowns than the former champion. This represented a complete reversal from their first encounter in March 2023.<\/p>\n A turning point came when Yan landed a body kick that hurt Dvalishvili. From that moment forward, Dvalishvili showed less aggression. Yan controlled the fight\u2019s direction and pace for the remaining rounds.<\/p>\n Rogan noted videos of Yan\u2019s training camp preparation. \u201cHe was doing some wild strength and conditioning and plyometrics,\u201d Rogan said. \u201cHe knew what he was in for.\u201d<\/p>\n The analyst compared the challenge to climbing a mountain. \u201cIf you\u2019re going to fight a guy like Merab, you know what the mountain is,\u201d Rogan said. \u201cAre you ready to climb it?\u201d<\/p>\n The First Fight and Injury Claims<\/p>\n Yan lost their first fight by unanimous decision in March 2023. Dvalishvili dominated that bout with a historic performance. He attempted a record 49 takedowns and controlled Yan on the ground.<\/p>\n After the rematch, Yan revealed he fought the first bout with an injured right hand. He claimed he was only at 50 percent capacity. The injury prevented him from grappling or throwing combinations effectively.<\/p>\n Rogan rewatched the first fight after learning about the injury. \u201cHe\u2019s barely using it,\u201d Rogan said. \u201cBarely using his right hand.\u201d<\/p>\n So when Petr Yan fought Merab with a hand injury, he kinda got dominated by Dvalishvili. But when he rematched him without the hand injury, we got UFC 323.
\nJoe Rogan called Yan\u2019s performance a \u201cmasterclass\u201d on his podcast, praising the fighter\u2019s complete game plan against Dvalishvili\u2019s relentless pace
\nYan outstruck Dvalishvili and landed more takedowns, showing improvement from their first fight in March 2023
\nA body kick mid-fight hurt Dvalishvili badly and served as a turning point in the bout
\nYan claimed he fought at 50 percent in their first meeting due to an injured right hand that prevented him from grappling or throwing combinations<\/p>\n
Now, when Umar Nurmagomedov fought Merab with a broken hand, he still gave him his toughest & closest fight. Interesting.\ud83d\ude03 pic.twitter.com\/Buol98gwKN<\/a><\/p>\n