In the main event of UFC 323 tomorrow night in Las Vegas, we are going to see a rematch for the bantamweight title. Champion Merab Dvalishvili (21-4) is looking to make history and become the first man to defend his title four times in a single calendar year as he takes on former champion Petr Yan (19-5).
These two fought for the first time back in 2023 in the main event of a fight night. That night, Dvalishvili completely dominated the fight and won a decision. After that fight, Dvalishvili defeated Henry Cejudo and then fought and won the bantamweight title. Since then, he’s had three successful title defenses all here in 2025.
Petr Yan says that he wasn’t his best the night he fought Dvalishvili the first time and he’s looking for revenge at UFC 323. Since the loss to Dvalishvili, Yan has fought three times and he’s gone a perfect 3-0. His wins include victories over Song Yadong, Deiveson Figueiredo, and most recently Marcus McGhee.
UFC 323 Prediction
On paper, it would appear that Petr Yan would be the type of fighter who could really challenge Merab Dvalishvili. He’s got really good takedown defense, he’s very strong in the clinch, and we know that he has tremendous striking. He also has a ton of power in his hands which can normally keep opponents honest.
However, the problem is, I just don’t think that even the best Petr Yan is better than Dvalishvili. Merab Dvalishvili’s nickname is The Machine and I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a more perfect nickname. The man is truly a machine and he breaks every fighter who tries to face him.
I think Yan is going to have success at UFC 323. I think you’ll see him land shots and I think you’ll see him defend some takedowns. The problem is that through all of that, Dvalishvili is going to keep coming and he’s not going to stop. I don’t see Yan stopping Dvalishvili and I don’t see him scoring more points which will ultimately lead to another decision win and the fourth successful UFC title defense for Merab Dvalishvili.
Prediction: Merab Dvalishvili by Decision
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