Dvalishvili admits he knew in round two his UFC 323 rematch with Yan was lost

Merab Dvalishvili has admitted he knew he was going to lose his UFC 323 rematch against Petr Yan from as early as the second round, revealing that a failed takedown attempt effectively ended his belief that he could retain the bantamweight title.

Dvalishvili (21-5) had beaten Yan (20-5) in their first meeting in 2023 and claimed the UFC bantamweight championship in September 2024. He entered the rematch at UFC 323 last December as a heavy favourite, but Yan neutralised his grappling, outstruck him throughout, and earned a unanimous decision to take the belt.

Ahead of their trilogy fight at UFC 333 on 24 October at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, Dvalishvili has been candid about the moment his confidence collapsed in the rematch.

“In the second round, I came back planning to take him down,” Dvalishvili said. “I shot and I really tried and he again defended my takedown. In 10 seconds, all my energy came out. And then I was like, ‘What now? I don’t think I can take him down and I’m gonna have a good fight.’ And then I was just fighting… I was striking with him; he got me.”

Once the takedown threat was neutralised, Dvalishvili said he shifted his mindset entirely, choosing to absorb the experience rather than chase a result he no longer believed was achievable.

“Second round, I tried to take him down; I wasn’t able to. I was like, ‘F*ck no, what should I do now?’ And then I was just having fun. I said, ‘I’m gonna have fun and I’m gonna enjoy the fight.’ I realised in the second fight that I was not going to win the fight and I was just going to enjoy the fight.”

The admission underlines how completely Yan’s takedown defence dismantled Dvalishvili’s game plan. The Georgian’s relentless wrestling has been the foundation of his rise through the bantamweight division, and its failure against Yan — twice in the same fight — raises significant questions about what adjustments he can make for the trilogy.

Yan will defend the title against Dvalishvili at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi, with the October 24 card set to settle one of the most compelling rivalries in the bantamweight division.