Headlining the event is a battle for the undisputed 135-pound championship, as all-conquering bantamweight champion of the world Merab Dvalishvili takes on former champion, Petr Yan. It’s a rematch of their non-title tussle in Vegas back in November 2023. Dvalishvili won that fight at a canter, winning every round in a shutout victory over five rounds.
Now they’re set to face off again, this time with championship gold on the line, and Yan is back for revenge, and the title, as he looks to snap the Georgian’s 14-fight win streak and recapture the 135-pound strap in the process.
Main Event Breakdown: Merab Dvalishvili vs Petr Yan
Merab Dvalishvili: ‘The Machine’ looks unstoppable
Some fighters have knockout power. Others have elite submission skills. But Merab Dvalishvili is a little different from the rest. The bantamweight champion’s biggest weapon is his cardio. Nobody can match his pace, and his seemingly bottomless gas tank allows him to hit the gas from minute one, and somehow accelerate his pace through the fight. His nickname of “The Machine” couldn’t be more perfect.
Dvalishvili has used a combination of his insane work rate and relentless wrestling to break virtually everyone he’s faced inside the Octagon since his current win streak got underway back in September 2018. Now he’ll look to continue that trend when he faces Yan, who he already defeated by decision two years ago.
Can Dvalishvili continue his reign of dominance, and perhaps even underscore his superiority on fight night with a finish?
Petr Yan: ‘No Mercy’ is fit and firing
Petr Yan is one of the most well-rounded fighters in the bantamweight division. Excellent boxing, solid wrestling and an underrated grappling game helped take him to championship honours in Russian promotion ACB (now ACA) before he made the move to the UFC and eventually became the undisputed bantamweight champion with a fifth-round stoppage of UFC Hall of Famer and former longtime featherweight champion Jose Aldo.
Yan went on to lose his belt to Aljamain Sterling by disqualification, and while he did get a rematch, he lost out again. It sparked the worst run of Yan’s career as he lost four out of five fights from March 2021 to March 2023. But since then, “No Mercy” has rediscovered his winning form. Victories over Deiveson Figueiredo, Song Yadong and Marcus McGhee have put Yan back in title contention once again, and this time he plans on making his chance count.
He faces a nemesis in the form of Dvalishvili, who defeated him while he was carrying injuries. Now fully fit, can Yan turn the tables and recapture the throne at 135?
Look out for…
- Wrestling vs striking: Dvalishvili likes to dominate with his wrestling, but if Yan can keep it standing for long enough, he has the striking to finish the fight
- A fast start: Dvalishvili doesn’t believe in feeling-out periods. He just pushes the pace from the off, and doesn’t let up
- A sneaky submission: Yan undoubtedly has the striking advantage in this fight, but his best shot of a finish might be with a surprise submission. Look out for guillotine choke attempts as he tries to snatch up Merab’s neck during the champion’s takedown attempts
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