Petr Yan knew how to ‘break’ Merab Dvalishvili in UFC 333 trilogy

Yan (21-5) defeated Dvalishvili (21-6) by unanimous decision in a trilogy match at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, with all three judges scoring it 48-47 in favor of the champion. Dvalishvili overpowered Yan in the first two rounds before “No Mercy” turned the tide in the final three rounds.

Petr Yan explains how takedown defense turned the UFC 333 trilogy against Merab Dvalishvili

Dvalishvili dominated their first meeting in 2023, outwrestling Yanis en route to a one-sided decision victory. Yan avenged that loss last December by winning a unanimous decision to dethrone “The Machine”. Having shared the Octagon 50 minutes before UFC 333, Yan knew what to expect in the rubber match.

Yan said he expected Dvalishvili to try to overwhelm him with wrestling pressure, as the former champion did in their first meeting. After a slow start, the Russian increased his output in the third round and increasingly frustrated the Georgian challenger’s attack.

“I knew he was going to keep pressing; I knew he was going to give me a million takedowns,” Yan said in a post-fight interview. “I realized that the moment I can protect them, he’s going to break down. Something’s going to change in his head when he realizes he can’t do what he planned.”