Petr Yan believes he has figured out the formula to beat Merab Dvalishvili ahead of their highly anticipated trilogy. 👀 After spending 50 minutes inside the Octagon with Merab across their first two fights, Yan believes he understands how to deal with the relentless pressure and wrestling that made Dvalishvili such a dominant bantamweight champion. Their first fight saw Merab constantly push the pace with takedown attempts, forcing Yan to fight from behind. But in the rematch, Yan adjusted his approach, controlled the distance more effectively, and did a much better job neutralizing Merab’s wrestling. Now, Yan believes those adjustments can make the difference once again when the two rivals meet for a third time. Has Petr Yan figured out Merab, or will Dvalishvili find a way to adjust? 🥊 #PetrYan #MerabDvalishvili #UFC #MMA #UFCBantamweight
Petr Yan says he has worked out how to beat Merab Dvalishvili, and the bantamweight champion believes the answer will carry over into a third fight between the two.
Yan's confidence comes from the 50 minutes he has spent in the Octagon with Dvalishvili across two five-round meetings. In the first, on March 11, 2023, Dvalishvili pushed a relentless pace built on takedown attempts and won a unanimous decision, leaving Yan to fight from behind. The rematch at UFC 323 on December 6, 2025, went the other way: Yan won a unanimous decision to take the title, controlling the distance better and doing a far more effective job of shutting down the wrestling. He believes those adjustments can decide the trilogy as well.
Yan, 33, is the reigning bantamweight champion at 20-5-0. The Russian fights out of the Archangel Michael Club and works from a switch stance. He lands 5.12 significant strikes per minute at 54 percent accuracy, and his takedown average of 1.58 per 15 minutes shows a fighter who prefers to keep the fight standing. Before the title win he had beaten Marcus McGhee in July 2025 and Deiveson Figueiredo in November 2024, both by unanimous decision.
Dvalishvili, 35, is 21-5-0 and ranked first in the division and second pound for pound. The Georgian trains with the Serra-Longo Fight Team and is built on volume wrestling. His 6.4 takedowns per 15 minutes is roughly four times Yan's rate of 1.58. He lands 4.33 significant strikes per minute at 42 percent accuracy. Before losing the belt he had beaten Cory Sandhagen by decision in October 2025 and finished Sean O'Malley by submission in June 2025.
Why it matters
- The series stands at 1-1, with each fight going the full five rounds and ending in a unanimous decision.
- Yan has the edge in striking efficiency, 54 percent accuracy against 42, while Dvalishvili has a large advantage in takedown output.
- Yan's rematch win is the clearest recent evidence of how Dvalishvili's pressure can be blunted over 25 minutes.
- The size gap is small: Dvalishvili is an inch shorter at five-foot-six, with a 68-inch reach to Yan's 67.
Dvalishvili's most recent recorded fight is the title loss to Yan, so a third meeting would give him the chance to answer the adjustments Yan says he has found.
Merab Dvalishvili vs Petr Yan
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