With the crowd exploding inside the T-Mobile Arena, fans watched Petr Yan outclass and outwork former champion Merab Dvalishvili in their UFC 323 rematch. Dana White wrapped the belt around Yan’s waist as the arena roared, but one important figure didn’t witness the moment.  From the opening moments, the Russian champ controlled the fight everywhere.

With that, he snapped Merab Dvalishvili’s 14-win streak and reclaimed the bantamweight title, firmly placing himself among the division’s greats. Yet even with the belt back on his shoulder, Petr Yan couldn’t shake a bittersweet feeling. His coach was still unable to enter the United States after multiple visa denials, leaving the victory night feeling incomplete. Still, the presence of the Karate Combat champion, who supported Yan throughout fight week, helped fill that void.

Petr Yan reveals the key figure who backed him throughout UFC 323 in his coach’s absence

Petr Yan and his team have long faced challenges with U.S. visa authorities, a situation widely reported. U.S. officials first denied his team’s visa request in 2022, during ‘No Mercy’s title unification fight against Aljamain Sterling, at which time coach Dale Brown stepped in to help prepare the Russian star.

Although the government later approved Petr Yan’s three-year visa, his coach is still unable to enter the country. “My coach has actually been denied a visa six times. Every time we apply for a visa, he cannot get into the States,” said Yan in a post-UFC event interview with Dan Hellie and Chris Weidman.

In the meantime, Yan received support from his coach’s protégé, Ilyas Khamzin, a Karate Combat welterweight champion, who helped him with striking during fight week. “So, his protégé is actually here, Ilyas (Ilyas Khamzin), right now. Karate Ka champion. He’s the one who’s here. Imagine if my actual coach were also here. What we could do?” said Petr Yan via a translator.

Ilyas Khamzin has been a constant presence by Petr Yan’s side. When the Russian star captured his first title in 2020, Khamzin celebrated by carrying him on his shoulders around the octagon. At UFC 323, he repeated the gesture, lifting the newly crowned bantamweight champion once again.

Petr Yan’s team features a long roster of coaches, but it remains unclear which coach he meant. That said, fans often mention Irishman John Hutchinson whenever ‘No Mercy’s name comes up. Hutchinson trains with Yan at Phuket’s Tiger Muay Thai and also coaches ONE Championship champion Anatoly Malykhin.

Petr Yan comments on a potential rematch against Merab Dvalishvili

Heading into UFC 323, Merab Dvalishvili seemed unstoppable as the fan favorite, riding a 16-fight win streak. However, the night brought a shocking upset. Petr Yan came out far sharper than in their first encounter, dominating Dvalishvili throughout the rematch. By the end of five grueling rounds, Yan had left Dvalishvili battered and bloodied, securing the bantamweight belt by decision.

Following the fight, Dvalishvili immediately called for a rematch with the newly crowned champion. Initially, Petr Yan stated that the Georgian Star would first need to defeat Umar Nurmagomedov. Yet, at the UFC post-fight press conference, ‘No Mercy’ delivered a hilarious response:

“I think Merab should get the boys, get into the jacuzzi, think about it. Then we’ll see,” said Petr Yan in the post-fight press conference.

Do you think Merab Dvalishvili deserves an immediate title shot against Petr Yan for the trilogy? Share your thoughts below.