This is the UFC 323 live blog for Merab Dvalishvili vs. Petr Yan 2, the bantamweight championship main event Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Dvalishvili (20-4) seeks to make history by becoming the first fighter in UFC history to record four successful title defenses in a calendar year. Currently No. 3 in the MMA Fighting Pound-for-Pound Rankings, Dvalishvili began the year with an impressive decision win over the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov, then ran through rival Sean O’Malley in their rematch, and followed that up with a win over dark horse contender Cory Sandhagen. Should Dvalishvili score another win, it will mark his 15th straight victory, which would tie him with Kamaru Usman for the third-longest UFC win streak all time behind Islam Makhachev and Anderson Silva (both with 16).
Not only is Yan (19-5) seeking to become a two-time bantamweight champion, he seeks a measure of revenge with Dvalishvili having won a five-round decision over him in March 2023. That was a third straight loss for Yan and he’s since rebounded with three straight wins, holding off contenders Marcus McGhee, Deiveson Figueiredo, and Song Yadong. A win would be sweet redemption for Yan, who lost his title all the way back in 2021 when he was infamously disqualified for striking Aljamain Sterling with an illegal knee.
Check out the UFC 323 live blog for Merab Dvalishvili vs. Petr Yan 2 below.
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