Bantamweight champion Petr Yan just locked up the trilogy at UFC 333, taking down Merab Dvalishvili with a unanimous decision victory (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) in the co-main event at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. This was a bantamweight title fight, and Yan, now 20-5 in MMA and 12-4 in UFC, showed exactly why he wears the belt. Dvalishvili, coming in at 21-5 MMA and 14-3 UFC, threw everything he had, including a record-breaking number of takedown attempts, but it just wasn’t enough to dethrone “No Mercy.”
Dvalishvili’s Early Takedown Storm Falls Short
Dvalishvili came out firing, kicking things off with a hard leg kick and a big right hand right out of the gate in Round 1. “The Machine” was relentless with his takedown attempts. He shot for a single leg, tried to get deep into a body lock, and even got Yan down briefly multiple times, taking his back once. But here’s the thing about Yan, he just wouldn’t stay down, popping right back up every single time. Yan was stalking but not throwing much in that first round, soaking up Dvalishvili’s pressure. The second round saw more of the same, with Dvalishvili landing a head kick and a right, then immediately dragging Yan down again. The crowd actually started booing as Dvalishvili continuously grabbed hold of Yan whenever he tried to break free. Yan kept reversing positions, throwing punches, and, crucially, kept popping back up from every single takedown attempt, even landing a left and a head kick of his own. It was a tough couple of rounds, with Dvalishvili seemingly getting the better of the early exchanges.
The Momentum Absolutely Swings
Round 3? That’s when you saw the shift. Yan started pressuring, looking for that knockout blow, that “home run” shot. Even though Dvalishvili was landing more while backpedaling, Yan was starting to figure out “The Machine’s” rhythm. Yan landed a right and then, get this, stuffed three straight Dvalishvili takedowns with *ease*. Boom, then a big right hand. Yan wasn’t messing around anymore. He was in a flow state offensively, cracking Dvalishvili with a left, hurting him badly with a left body kick, and then rocking him with a combination. Dvalishvili was in serious trouble, visibly shaken as the round ended, with Yan stuffing yet another takedown. The momentum was fully, completely, undeniably on Yan’s side. Round 4 was just more of Yan’s relentless pressure. He continued to stuff Dvalishvili’s takedowns, over and over again, finding a home for a big left hand, throwing hard to the body, and even landing a nice elbow. Dvalishvili was actively throwing, sure, but nothing was getting Yan’s attention, and Dvalishvili started missing all his shots as Yan just stalked him down.
Yan’s Unanimous Statement
Dvalishvili tried to storm back into Round 5 with a big right and another takedown attempt, but Yan fired back with a combination that showed he was in control. What was truly wild was Yan deciding to surprise Dvalishvili with a takedown attempt of his own! He just kept stuffing Dvalishvili’s attempts, pressing forward with combinations, making defensive reads, and landing body kicks and a knee. Dvalishvili was still fighting hard, you gotta give him that, but he just couldn’t land anything significant. Yan sealed the deal with a jumping knee to the body and then wobbled Dvalishvili with a big combination to close out the fight. After apparently losing the first two rounds, Yan figured out Dvalishvili’s timing and took over. This wasn’t just a win; it was a statement. Yan showed everyone why he is the bantamweight champ, weathering the storm, making the adjustments, and putting on a clinic when it mattered most. What’s next for the bantamweight king? Who knows, but after a performance like that, you know he’s going to be ready for whatever comes his way.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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