Both UFC 322 and UFC 323 left fans and critics with one thought – the importance of strategic planning in high-level MMA. The last two UFC PPVs saw arguably the two hottest divisional titles change hands – at welterweight, and then bantamweight. Yet, the stories could not have been more different. What fans saw from Petr Yan’s corner at UFC 323 even earned respect from the mastermind behind Islam Makhachev’s UFC 322 domination – Khabib Nurmagomedov.

The rise of technology and AI has found its way to boost the performance of MMA and Muay Thai athletes. São Paulo-based gym, Fighting Nerds, is now turning heads with the same. By applying a data-driven, analytical approach, its fighters have already started making waves. Still, sometimes, a simple plan on an iPad can make all the difference.

That reality was on full display this past weekend when newly crowned bantamweight champion Petr Yan’s coach put his strategy into action at UFC 323 during the title fight against Merab Dvalishvili. As before, the United States denied Yan’s coach, Kairat Nurmagambetov, entry, but despite that, he crafted the blueprint for ‘No Mercy’s victory from thousands of miles away.

MMA page “PAM” on X recently posted a picture of Nurmagambetov displaying the game plan he designed to dethrone Merab Dvalishvili. In the grueling five-round clash, Petr Yan dominated and dismantled Dvalishvili in the rematch, following the coach’s decision tree that accounted for every possible scenario. “If Merab goes single leg, we do A; if it doesn’t work, we do B; if his response is C, we do D,” said Kairat Nurmagambetov.

Clearly, the coach was determined not to miss this opportunity to make Yan a two-time bantamweight champion and give him a chance to avenge his previous loss to Merab Dvalishvili. Moreover, Petr Yan’s coach’s innovative approach also caught the attention of MMA legend Khabib Nurmagomedov. His cousin, the current No. 2 bantamweight, will likely soon challenge for the title. PAM’s Instagram story, reshared by ESPN MMA, even earned a like from ‘The Eagle.’

On Reddit, fans can’t stop discussing Yan’s coach’s “insane” game plan, with many jokingly comparing it to the villainous Lex Luthor from the 2025 Superman movie.

“Brain Beats Brawn,” Reddit reacts to Petr Yan’s coach’s bold fight plan

Fans praised the Petr Yan camp’s approach, saying it showed exactly how a coach should plan a fight. Alongside the Russian coach Kairat Nurmagambetov, another protege, karate champion Ilyas Khamzin, guided Petr Yan in his corner. One fan commented, “This is the way a coach should do it,” pointing out the mistakes of Jack Della Maddalena’s corner at UFC 322 last month at Madison Square Garden.

Critics slammed the Aussie camp for failing to give their champion proper advice, which led to Della Maddalena losing his welterweight title to Islam Makhachev. Jack had no answer to Islam’s relentless grappling, and his head coach just kept repeating “keep pinging [Islam].” They had a plan A, which they could not implement. Yan’s team had plans A, B, C, and D.

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Fans continued to applaud Petr Yan’s coach, praising his mindset with comments like “BRAIN BEATS BRAWN,” and noting that such detailed planning rarely appears in fights. Even from thousands of miles away, fans admired how ‘No Mercy’s corner mapped out every move, especially since the coach had faced multiple US visa denials since 2022, even though Yan’s family visited the US several times.

At the same time, observing Kairat Nurmagambetov’s plan, one fan said, “That’s some cool-a– stuff right there.” Some fans even compared the coach to Lex Luthor from the 2025 Superman movie, where Nicholas Hoult’s character crafted a similar strategy to defeat Superman after studying the Kryptonian’s fighting patterns.

However, this is not the first time fighters have used a study-based approach in MMA. Years ago, legends like George St-Pierre applied similar methods, analyzing videos in slow motion and using data-driven strategies. In fact, one fan noted, “There are YouTube videos of him talking about his nerd friend analyzing videos in slow motion and doing data analysis on fighters’ response times.”

Predicting Umar Nurmagomedov’s performance against Petr Yan remains difficult, since he must first face Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 324. Meanwhile, fans have already mocked the Dagestani’s phrase, given by Islam Makhachev: “Send 2-3 years to Dagestan and forget.” Observing AI-style planning’s dominance over traditional verbal strategies, one fan commented, “The machine got defeated by an AI-generated multiple counter strategy.”

Fans also mocked Merab Dvalishvili’s loss to Petr Yan, noting that the Russian champ now challenges Team Khabib. While Umar Nurmagomedov, guided by his cousin, could not overcome Dvalishvili, who previously beat him, Yan defeated Dvalishvili and solidified his position as the new bantamweight kingpin. One fan remarked, “Even though he rarely finishes his opponents, watching Petr is always such a nice experience.”

With the buzz surrounding Petr Yan, do you think Khabib Nurmagomedov’s cousin can challenge Yan’s dominance in the future? Share your thoughts below.