Russian Petr Yan retained the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) mixed martial arts (MMA) title by defeating his Georgian challenger Merab Dvalishvili in their "third" bout held last Saturday in the UAE.
The Russian fighter managed to turn the tide in his favor in the final three rounds after losing the first two, winning by a unanimous decision with the scorecards: (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) in the bout, which took place in the capital, Abu Dhabi, as part of the "UFC 333" mixed martial arts (MMA) event, thereby retaining the UFC flyweight championship title.
It is noteworthy that the first bout between Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili took place in March 2023 and ended in a crushing victory for the Georgian fighter, nicknamed "The Machine," by a unanimous decision after five rounds. The Russian fighter then recaptured the title in their "revenge" second bout on December 7, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Thus, Petr Yan (32 years old) achieved his 21st victory of his professional career so far, against five defeats.
On the other hand, Merab Dvalishvili (35 years old) suffered his sixth defeat, alongside 21 victories as well in his professional career so far.
