Merab Dvalishvili entered UFC 323 chasing history with a potential fourth title defense in 2025, something no UFC champion had ever done. On a fourteen-fight winning streak, he was favored to beat Petr Yan in their rematch from 2023. However, the Russian fighter had different plans as he reclaimed the belt he once held.

Since the start, Dvalishvili, except for a couple of times, has never looked dominant enough like his previous fight. Round three saw Yan landing sharp low kicks while a bloodied Dvalishvili kept shooting desperately for takedowns. The Russian slammed him repeatedly and scrambled free each time. A brutal body kick closed the round, clearly hurting the defending champion.

The championship rounds belonged to Yan completely. Yan stuffed him with nonstop wrestling attempts, r

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