Russian MMA fighter Pyotr Yan regained the UFC bantamweight title by defeating the then Georgian belt holder Merab Dvalishvili in the main fight of the UFC 323 tournament. The competition was held in Las Vegas and went all five rounds, which ended with a unanimous victory of the Russian by the decision of the judges.

The first round was held for the fighters mainly in the stand up. Yan delivered several precise blows to the opponent’s head, which ended in Dvalishvili bleeding noticeably. In the second round, the Georgian fighter tried to take the initiative, but he failed to get the engine ignited.

For the Russian fighter, the fight was of fundamental importance as he wanted to return the belt back home to Russia.

Image above: Mr. Yan, in black, dodges an incoming strike

Peter Yan turned to the Russian masses after winning the UFC championship belt

Immediately after winning the UFC championship title, Russian mixed martial artist Pyotr Yan addressed the citizens of his country. He thanked the fans and admitted that this victory had been achieved through many years of training.

I am very happy to be standing here with the champion’s belt, I am very happy, thank you to the fans! I’ve been working and preparing for a long time. This is my life today.

-Pyotr Yan

The athlete also conveyed greetings to his native country and his family and thanked everyone who supported him during difficult times. He stressed that “the UFC changed his life.”

Image above: Victory achieved!

After the defeat, Dvalishvili asked Yan for a rematch.

Now former UFC champion Merab Dvalishvili commented on his own defeat. He stressed that he wants to have a third fight with the Russian.

“I want a rematch. I have to go back. Today I tried to put on a show. I didn’t want to show boring wrestling,” the Georgian athlete emphasized.

Yang himself has stated his principled attitude towards rematches. Speaking about the match with Dvalishvili, the Russian noted that he understood the difficulties that awaited him, because the match took place at the former champion’s home. Nevertheless, all professionalism was invested in this fight, Yang said. “To win at home against the champion, you need to do it clearly, without question,” he concluded.

Jan and Dvalishvili had already met in the octagon before. On March 12, 2023, a Russian fighter was defeated in a fight with an opponent and lost the champion belt.