Petr Yan will take on bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 323 this weekend in Las Vegas, and while their first fight was a disastrous defeat for “The Machine,” Yan believes his history in the rematch proves his ability to bring the belt back to Russia on December 6.
Yan is a former champion at 135 but lost the belt via disqualification in 2021 against Aljamain Sterling. A year later, he lost to “The Funkmaster” in a controversial rematch, followed by a questionable loss to Sean O’Malley. Dvalishvili finished 2023 decisively, putting “No Mercy” at 0-3, well outside the realm of contention. Now, the title is back in Yan’s hands and he plans to put in a better performance against the dominant Dvalishvili.
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“I think we know each other a lot better than we did in the first fight,” Yan said in Russian during a UFC 323 media interview. “Between me and [Magomed] Magomedov and I rematch [Aljamain] Sterling, I was 100% better in the rematch. Of course, this Saturday, I believe the rematch with Merab will be the same. “
If Yan does defeat Dvalishvili — oddsmakers have No Mercy as a +300 underdog — he says he’ll take part in a trilogy fight to prove his win was no fluke.
“You know, going forward, I certainly think Merab deserves any rematch he wants,” Yan said. “I think the UFC would support it if I won. I think it would be a cool trilogy.”
While Yan was mostly respectful of Dvalishvili, he did mention Merab’s refusal to serve as a rival coach for the Russian TUF clone.
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“We had a show in Thailand where we were supposed to coach with Merab,” Yan said. “He talked a lot and they bought him a ticket. But in the end, he just got scared and didn’t show up.”
Sean O’Malley is one of the fighters Yan was knocked out of, and he could be back in the ring of contenders if the two win their respective bouts.
“Right now, I’m focused on my fight,” Yan said. “I don’t want to think about O’Malley right now. Frankly, I don’t want to [fight him again]. Again, I don’t fight. Matchmakers and UFC organize them. If an invitation like that comes along, my job is to do my job. “
With “Suga” defeating “No Mercy,” they seem destined to fight again no matter how Yan feels about things. Now, he has a bigger target, Merab Dvalishvili’s bantamweight belt.
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live! Stream UFC 323 live on ESPN+
Bantamweight Championship rematch! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heads to T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, December 6, 2025 for the explosive (and final) UFC 323 fight card, broadcast live on ESPN+. In the main event of UFC 323, the ruthless Georgia bantamweight champion, Merab Dvalishvilidefending his belt against the Russian attacking phenom and former 135-pound perch dominant, Yan Peterin a high-stakes rematch that could reshape the 135-pound division. Among the co-headliners at UFC 323, the Brazilian flyweight king; Alexander Pantojafighting rising challengers, Joshua Fanfighting for the 125-pound championship in a clash that blends elite grappling and knockout power. All this and more!
Don’t miss a second of your face-slapping action!
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For the finalized UFC 323 fight card and PPV lineup, click here.