Petr Yan Beats Merab in UFC 333 Trilogy Fight
Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley did meet again after their September 2024 title fight, after Dvalishvili made one successful defense of his belt. He submitted O’Malley in their June 2025 rematch. At UFC 333 on October 24, 2026, Petr Yan defeated Dvalishvili by unanimous decision to retain the bantamweight title. O’Malley has added two wins since their 2025 rematch.
Dvalishvili won their first fight for the title
On September 14, 2024, Dvalishvili beat then-champion O’Malley by unanimous decision to claim the bantamweight belt. His pressure and wrestling shaped much of the five-round contest. The official scorecards show 49–46, 48–47 and 48–47.
O’Malley’s rematch came after one successful defense
Dvalishvili first defended the title against Umar Nurmagomedov in January 2025. He then faced O’Malley again on June 7 and submitted him with a ninja choke at 4:42 of Round 3. The official result confirmed the finish, which made their series 2–0 in Dvalishvili’s favor.
A third defense, then a title loss
After the O’Malley rematch, Dvalishvili beat Cory Sandhagen by unanimous decision on October 4, 2025. It was his third successful defense of the year. He attempted a fourth against Yan on December 6, but lost by unanimous decision and surrendered the belt. The official scorecards record the result.
Where O’Malley stands now
O’Malley followed a January 2026 decision win over Song Yadong with a second-round knockout of Aiemann Zahabi on June 14. The official Freedom 250 results report the finish. At UFC 333 on October 24, 2026, Yan defeated Dvalishvili by unanimous decision to reclaim the bantamweight title. The official event results record the decision win.
Sources
Tags: Wrestling, Olympic Wrestling, UFC 333
