Petr Yan’s No-Mercy Revival
On October 24, 2026, Petr Yan defeated Merab Dvalishvili by unanimous decision at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi, retaining the UFC bantamweight championship. All three judges scored the five-round trilogy bout for Yan. The victory added a successful defense to his second undisputed reign and reinforced the Russian contender-turned-champion’s reputation for sharp boxing and determined takedown defense.
From Russia to the UFC
Born in the Krasnoyarsk region of Russia, Yan developed an aggressive boxing game, sharp timing and a pressure style that translated well to mixed martial arts. After building a record in regional promotions, he joined the UFC in 2018 and quickly became a contender at 135 pounds.
Championship rise and setbacks
Yan stopped José Aldo at UFC 251 in 2020 to win the vacant bantamweight title. He lost the belt by disqualification against Aljamain Sterling, then won the interim championship against Cory Sandhagen. A close rematch with Sterling and later losses to Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili tested his place at the top.
Yan answered with wins over Deiveson Figueiredo, Song Yadong and Marcus McGhee. At UFC 323 in December 2025, he defeated Dvalishvili by unanimous decision to regain the undisputed title. His measured combinations and body attacks remain central to his style.
A trilogy settled in the championship rounds
Yan’s UFC 333 victory followed his title-winning decision over Dvalishvili in December 2025. In the third meeting, the judges returned identical scores of 48–47. The result gave Yan consecutive wins over the opponent who had defeated him in their first encounter.
The different routes through championship adversity
Yan’s title history includes a stoppage victory, a disqualification loss, an interim championship and a successful return to the undisputed belt. Those outcomes should be kept distinct when assessing his career. Losing the title through an illegal knee against Sterling was different from the close decision that followed in their rematch. His later rebuilding run required new victories against established bantamweights rather than an automatic return to the top.
Sources
- UFC: Yan fight history
- UFC: UFC 251 results
- UFC: UFC 323 event record
- MMA Fighting: Yan retains his title at UFC 333
Article Tags
Petr Yan, Merab Dvalishvili, José Aldo, Aljamain Sterling, Cory Sandhagen, UFC, Bantamweight
