At UFC 323, held last night in Las Vegas, Petr Yan returned to the top of the bantamweight division by defeating Merab Dvalishvili via unanimous decision in their rematch. After five rounds of back-and-forth striking and wrestling, the judges awarded Yan 49-46, 49-46, and 48-47, handing him the UFC bantamweight title and ending Dvalishvili’s dominant run.

The fight marked a dramatic turnaround for Yan, who had lost the pair’s first encounter in March 2023. Dvalishvili came into the night looking to make history — he was aiming to become the first UFC champion ever to successfully defend a title four times in a single calendar year. Having defended the belt thrice already in 2025, expectations were high. But Yan had other plans.

From the opening bell, Yan showed a sharper, more aggressive approach. He immediately pushed the pace, using crisp jabs and stiff body shots to keep Dvalishvili from settling into his usual wrestling rhythm. Early on, the Georgian landed strikes and lurked for takedowns, but Yan’s defense held firm. The former champ stayed disciplined, backpedaling, circling, and capitalizing on openings with strikes to head and ribs.

As the rounds progressed, Yan’s body work began to tell. Liver kicks and punches to the midsection slowed Dvalishvili’s forward pressure. On multiple takedown attempts, Yan remained elusive — scrambling, defending, and forcing Dvalishvili to show signs of frustration. By the third and fourth rounds, the champion’s offense looked less confident; his entries lost snap, and the urgency waned. A deep guillotine attempt in round four added tension, but Yan escaped and recovered composure, returning fire with solid combinations and steady defense.

Into the championship rounds, Yan maintained control. He continued mixing jabs, overhands and kicks to the body, keeping Dvalishvili off-balance. Late in the fifth, as the two traded strikes standing, Yan secured a takedown with seconds left — a flourish that sealed the night and likely cemented the decision in his favor. At the final bell, Dvalishvili wore the visible signs of war: swelling, cuts, and exhaustion. Yan, by contrast, looked composed, confident and ready to lift the title belt once more.

With the victory, Yan becomes a two-time UFC bantamweight champion. His reign began in 2020 and ended after losing the belt, but this win resets the division. For Dvalishvili, the defeat snaps an incredible run of success: entering UFC 323 he had reeled off multiple defenses and chiseled his record into one of the most dominant in recent UFC bantamweight history. He leaves the Octagon having failed to complete his fourth defense — and now must regroup for what’s next.

Analysis of the fight highlights a shift in momentum, strategy and perhaps even the division’s direction. Where Dvalishvili once pressed relentlessly, banking on wrestling volume and cardio to outwork opponents, Yan showed that discipline, striking precision and timing remain potent tools. The body-attack strategy wore down Dvalishvili’s engine, the takedown defense negated his primary strength, and the final round control summed up a masterclass in tactical patience and execution.

Now, the bantamweight hierarchy is in flux. Yan’s ascent resets expectations for challengers; they must now contend with a champion who blends power, pace, and technical striking, while remaining defensively sound. For contenders, it’s no longer enough to bank on wrestling — they have to account for body work, distance management and fight IQ. For Dvalishvili, bouncing back will require retooling; the loss raises questions about how effective his wrestling-heavy style remains against a refined striker at the top of his game.

In the wake of UFC 323, the division faces new possibilities. A Yan–Dvalishvili trilogy could happen down the line. New contenders may emerge to test Yan’s striking-first reign. And the title may once again shift hands depending on who adapts fastest. For now, though, the spotlight belongs to Petr Yan — a champion reborn, with the belt around his waist and a warning to anyone who steps into the cage with him: adaptability and precision may matter more than relentlessness and volume.