A packed T-Mobile Arena watched the UFC’s final pay-per-view of the year deliver big, and Petr Yan shocked the crowd by outworking and outlasting the relentless Merab Dvalishvili in a grueling five–round war. As a result, the win gives Dana White & Co. a memorable sendoff for their pay-per-view era. Yan climbed back onto the bantamweight throne as a two–time champion, joining icons like Dominick Cruz and T.J. Dillashaw after winning back the title last night.

Meanwhile, the loss ends Merab Dvalishvili’s dominant year-long reign and immediately sparks calls from fans and media for a trilogy. However, Merab’s road back to the title just got tougher as Petr Yan made it clear he isn’t rushing in to give the former champion another shot just yet.

Petr Yan reveals the condition Merab must meet after their rematch

Merab Dvalishvili is now getting a taste of his own medicine. When asked by the media about giving a title shot to Umar Nurmagomedov, he had replied at a UFC Baku Q&A: “Maybe three more.” The former champion had made it clear the challenger would have to earn it after the loss. Similarly, Petr Yan has now set the same standard for ‘The Machine’ to get a rematch after UFC 323.

During the post-fight press conference, when asked who he would choose to defend his title against next, a challenger like Merab Dvalishvili or Umar Nurmagomedov, Petr Yan suggested a Dvalishvili vs. Nurmagomedov rematch. According to him, the winner of that fight should be next in line.

Top Stories

UFC 323 Payouts: How Much Will Merab Dvalishvili, Petr Yan, Alexandre Pantoja, and Others Earn?

Dana White Defends His Behaviour Toward Tom Apsinall After UFC 321 Eye Poke

Joe Rogan-Daniel Cormier Urged to Step Down After ‘Ruining’ Tatsuro Taira’s UFC 323 Moment

What Happened to Alexandre Pantoja? Freak Injury Makes Joshua Van Second Youngest Champ at UFC 323

Dana White Admits He Doesn’t “Give a Sh*t” About Arman Tsarukyan’s UFC Ranking

“Then we can see what happens. But understand this: for me to get the opportunity to fight for the belt again, the UFC made me go through three more fights before I was able to get back into contender position,” Petr Yan said at the UFC 323 post-fight press conference.

And Petr Yan is not wrong. He first fought Merab Dvalishvili in 2023, and ‘The Machine’ defeated him by decision. During that fight, ‘No Mercy’ reportedly injured his hand.

After that, Dana White & Co. made him face three opponents: Yadong Song, Deiveson Figueiredo, and Marcus McGhee. With those victories, the Russian star ultimately returned to a rematch with Dvalishvili at UFC 323.

Merab Dvalishvili expresses appreciation to fans after falling to Petr Yan

Heading into UFC 323, everyone from oddsmakers to fans expected Merab Dvalishvili to retain his title against Petr Yan in his fourth defense of the year. And it made sense, as ‘The Machine’ had every advantage. Last night, inside the T-Mobile Arena, Dvalishvili cemented his status as one of the sport’s all-time greats, even in defeat.

Islam Makhachev acknowledged it, saying, “Merab, you are one of the greatest to ever step into this cage.” Merab Dvalishvili truly lived up to his reputation as the sport’s relentless machine.

Following the loss, he made it clear he was not planning to take it easy. He opted to stand and trade rather than rely solely on his wrestling, giving fans a fight to remember, even if the strategy did not go as planned. Yet, he showed no bitterness over the outcome.

After the event, through social media, Dvalishvili addressed his fans on X. “Tonight wasn’t my night, but I will be back stronger than ever. Thank you, everyone for your support,” Merab Dvalishvili wrote.

With the former champion’s dominance now in the books, what do you make of his loss? Also, what factors do you think led to the Georgian star coming up short? Share your thoughts below.