Petr Yan will meet bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili. UFC 323 is this weekend in Las Vegas. and bye their first fight ended in defeat in favor of “The Machine”. Yan believes his history in rematches proves he has what it takes to bring the belt back to Russia on December 6.
Yang is a former 135 champion who lost the belt. through disqualification against Aljamain Sterling in 2021. He will lose controversial rematch via split decision to “Funkmaster” a year later, and then another dubious split loss to Sean O'Malley. Dvalishvili took the 2023 fight head on, leaving No Mercy at 0-3 and well outside the field. Now the title is back in Ian's hands and he plans to put on a much better performance against dominant Dvalishvili.
Advertising
“I think we both have a lot more information about each other than we did in the first fight.” Yang said in Russian during a media interview at UFC 323.. “Between my rematch with [Magomed] Magomedov and my revenge with [Aljamain] Sterling, I was 100% better in the rematch. And of course this Saturday, I’m sure the rematch with Merab will be the same.”
If Yan defeats Dvalishvili, the bookmakers have “No Mercy” as an outsider +300 – he says that he is ready to participate in the trilogy to prove that his victory was not an accident.
“You know, looking to the future, I definitely think Merab deserves whatever rematch he wants,” Yang said. “I think the UFC will support me if I win. I think it will be a cool trilogy.”
Although Ian treated Dvalishvili mostly with respect, he did mention Merab's refusal confront the coaches on Russian clone of TUF.
Advertising
“We had a show in Thailand, we got to train there with Merab,” Yang said. “He talked a lot, they had already bought tickets for him. But in the end he just got scared and didn’t come.”
One fighter Yang fired there was Sean O'Malley, who might end up in the rival circle again if both men win their respective fights.
“Right now I’m focused on my fight,” Yang said. “I'm not thinking about O'Malley right now. Honestly, I have no desire [fight him again]. Again, I don't do fights. They are organized by matchmakers and the UFC. If such an offer comes, my task is to do my job.”
With Suga getting the win over No Mercy, it seems like they're destined to fight again, no matter what Yang thinks about it. At the moment, he has a more serious goal – Merab Dvalishvili's bantamweight belt.
Advertising
LIVE! Watch UFC 323 on ESPN+
Bantamweight title rematch! The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heads to T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, December 6, 2025 with explosives (and the last one) ESPN+-streaming UFC 323 fight card. IN UVK 323The main event of the tournament, the tireless champion of Georgia in the bantamweight division, Merab Dvalishvilidefends his belt against Russian striking phenom and former 135-pound champion, Petr Yan, in a high-stakes rematch that could change the face of the 135-pound division. One of the headliners of the UFC 323 tournament, the Brazilian flyweight king, Alexander Pantoja, Fighting, rising contender, Joshua Wangfor the 125-pound crown in a bout that combines elite wrestling and knockout power. All this and MUCH MORE!!!
Don't miss a second of the spectacular action!
Where to buy:
Advertising
To see the final UFC 323 fight card and PPV lineup, click the button Here.
