Merab Dvalishvili Falls to Petr Yan in UFC Bantamweight Title Fight

Georgian MMA star Merab Dvalishvili has failed to reclaim the UFC bantamweight championship after suffering a unanimous decision defeat to Russia’s Petr Yan.

Dvalishvili lost to Yan in the co-main event of UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi, marking their third meeting inside the Octagon.

The two fighters first faced each other in March 2023, when Dvalishvili secured a dominant victory. However, Yan turned the tables in their December 2025 rematch, winning by unanimous decision to dethrone the Georgian and capture the bantamweight title.

In their third encounter, Yan once again emerged victorious, taking a 2–1 lead in their head-to-head rivalry and denying Dvalishvili the opportunity to regain his championship belt.

Dvalishvili first claimed the UFC bantamweight title in September 2024 with a victory over Sean O’Malley. He subsequently defended the championship successfully on three occasions before losing the belt to Yan in December 2025.