Petr Yan retains bantamweight title at UFC 333 with 48-47 win over Merab Dvalishvili

The Story

Petr Yan defended his UFC bantamweight title against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 333 on October 24, 2026, securing a 48-47 decision with all three judges in his favour.

The fight was their rubber match, with Dvalishvili having won their first meeting in 2023 before taking the title that Yan had previously held.

Yan had begun his second reign as champion “this past December” by avenging that loss with a decision win over Dvalishvili.

Dvalishvili came out with a high-energy approach, using big right hands and pushing for takedowns early, while Yan defended the attempts and kept the fight standing.

After moments of success early in the second round, Dvalishvili continued to control the pace with constant movement and pressure, working to get inside and pursue takedowns even as Yan fended them off.

Yan’s momentum shifted in Round 3, when a hard left body kick sent Dvalishvili stumbling backward and clutching at his liver. Yan then followed with repeated striking combinations to finish the round.

Yan carried that momentum into Round 4, landing a steady stream of boxing to Dvalishvili’s head and body and repeatedly defending as Dvalishvili tried to turn the fight with increasingly desperate takedown attempts.

In the final round, Yan appeared to be the fresher fighter, landing big strikes as the bout reached the end.

After the decision, Yan said through an interpreter that his corner had told him how to approach the fifth round, explaining, “I was listening to my coach,” and adding, “And he said, 'Look, we're going to the fifth round, and it's two-two. You win the round, you win the fight.'”