Merab Dvalishvili’s 14-fight win streak snapped, but the respect he earned didn’t. When the Georgian walked out of UFC 323 without his bantamweight title, the immediate reaction wasn’t mockery or dismissal. It was admiration. From champions to contenders, the MMA world stood in respect even though the fighter lost his fourth title defense in a single calendar year.

Unfortunately, it was Petr Yan who was across him. And he didn’t just survive ‘The Machine.’ He outmaneuvered him, outscored him, and reclaimed the belt by unanimous decision. And as soon as the result went official, X filled up with messages that framed Dvalishvili’s loss as something bigger than a defeat.

Islam Makhachev set the tone with a simple message on X: “Merab, you are one of the greatest to ever step into this cage. Congratulations. Petya you deserve it #UFC323.”

Coming from the now UFC welterweight champion, someone who knows how unforgiving championship runs can be from his time as the lightweight king, that line mattered. It recognized both sides of the main event: Yan’s execution and Dvalishvili’s body of work.

Even Belal Muhammad posted about the fight. “Wow right in the liver,” as Yan’s body shots visibly staggered the champ. Commentators Daniel Cormier and Joe Rogan couldn’t stop talking about it during the fight because Dvalishvili kept yelling every time he got hit with a body shot.

Later, Muhammad added, “Merab corner needs to tell him he’s losing.” It was blunt, but accurate.

In a fight where urgency matters, Merab Dvalishvili needed something drastic, and it never came, or rather, ‘No Mercy’ never let him change the momentum of the fight.

After the fight, Kamaru Usman zoomed out from the moment and wrote on X, “What a fight!! Congratulations to both men @MerabDvalishvil & @PetrYanUFC.”

For a former pound-for-pound king, this wasn’t about hype. It was about quality. Five rounds. Adjustments and pride earned on both sides. Others highlighted the broader night. Terrance McKinney summed up the atmosphere beyond the main event as he pointed out, “Man this had to be one of the top 5 best cards ever let’s give a hand to all these warriors sheesh what a incredible night of fights.”

That context matters. UFC 323 wasn’t just one title fight; it was a benchmark PPV closing the ESPN-era chapter before the Paramount Skydance shift in 2026. And the main event? It delivered beyond what fans and fighters were expecting.

Petr Yan rips back his title from Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 323

Petr Yan pressed early, backing the champion toward the fence and establishing his jab. Dvalishvili answered with volume and pressure, chaining takedown attempts even as Yan’s balance and defense refused to crack. By the midpoint of Round 1, Yan appeared to rock the Georgian, forcing the champ into grappling exchanges that went nowhere. It was a warning sign.

Round 2 mirrored the theme. Dvalishvili landed and pushed. Yan defended, reversed, and even landed his own takedown, briefly flipping the script. When the Russian slammed the champion in Round 3, the arena buzzed. Dvalishvili survived, but the damage told. His nose was bloodied. Yan’s body work began to matter. The challenger slowed him just enough to create separation.

By the championship rounds, the visual gap widened. ‘No Mercy’ dug the body, landed kicks, and even flashed a spinning back fist. Dvalishvili kept coming, but the pace that usually drowns opponents wasn’t producing takedowns or momentum. Yan entered Round 5 likely ahead, and he closed without panic, landing one last takedown to seal the cards: 49-46, 49-46, 48-47.

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So, where does this leave Merab Dvalishvili?

• Still historic.
• Still the owner of the UFC’s all-time takedown record with 119 to his name after UFC 323.
• Still, the man who beat Yan the first time and ran through José Aldo, Henry Cejudo, Sean O’Malley, Umar Nurmagomedov, and Cory Sandhagen. He built a reign on relentlessness. One loss doesn’t erase that.

And Petr Yan? He didn’t just regain a belt. He proved he could solve a puzzle no one had cracked in years. His takedown defense, patience, and body work exposed just enough vulnerability to flip the title back. Losses define what wins don’t. This one drew a line under Dvalishvili’s reign without crossing out his legacy, and the messages that poured in made that clear.

When champions speak, they usually tell you what matters. On this night, they said the same thing: history was challenged, greatness respected, and a rivalry was completed, at least for now.