The trilogy is finally settled, and Petr Yan has come out on top. The UFC 333 co-main event saw the Russian successfully defend his bantamweight title against Merab Dvalishvili in an action-packed five-round battle, earning a unanimous decision with all three judges scoring it 48-47.
With the victory, Yan improved to 2-1 against Dvalishvili, closing the book on a rivalry that has seen the two fighters spend 75 minutes inside the Octagon. Dvalishvili handed Yan a unanimous decision loss in March 2023 before the Russian got his revenge by dethroning ‘The Machine’ at UFC 323 last December. Now, Yan has beaten his rival for a second consecutive time.
As expected, Dvalishvili came out firing and relied heavily on his wrestling to control the opening rounds. The former champion constantly pressured Yan, throwing punches before shooting for takedowns and forcing the Russian to defend rather than establish his striking.
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The second round followed a similar pattern. Yan landed some clean combinations and even managed to reverse positions on the ground, but Dvalishvili quickly returned to wrestling. The challenger repeatedly dragged the champion down, preventing him from building any sustained offensive momentum. After two rounds, Dvalishvili appeared to have the upper hand.
However, Yan began turning things around in the third. The Russian started reading Dvalishvili’s takedown attempts more effectively and found openings with his striking. He landed a hard right hand, followed by a sharp left and a punishing kick to the liver that hurt the Georgian.
The momentum continued shifting in the fourth round as Yan repeatedly stuffed takedowns and landed clean punches. His left hand found its target consistently, while body shots and a sharp elbow added to the damage. Dvalishvili kept pushing forward, but his wrestling was becoming less effective as the champion grew more comfortable defending his attacks.
Heading into the fifth round, Dvalishvili had already attempted nearly 50 takedowns without being able to turn that relentless activity into a decisive advantage. He came out swinging, but Yan continued making the right defensive reads and countering with combinations, body kicks, and knees.
Late in the fight, Yan landed a jumping knee to the body before connecting with a powerful combination that visibly affected Dvalishvili. The Georgian battled until the final horn, but the champion had done enough to secure another successful title defense.
AND STILLLLL 🏆
Petr Yan defeats Merab Dvalishvili in a fight of the year contender
#UFC333 | Stream TNT Sports on HBO Max https://t.co/kXVPYPUhKG
— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) October 24, 2026
The 33-year-old now has several options for his next title defense, with Yadong and former champion Sean O’Malley among the possible challengers. Yadong was present during the UFC 333 broadcast in Abu Dhabi, while O’Malley will likely have his own case for another shot at the belt.
Yan has already beaten Yadong in the UFC, but his history with O’Malley makes that matchup particularly interesting. ‘Suga’ defeated Yan at UFC 280 in 2022 before eventually becoming champion himself.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
