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Petr Yan vs Merab Dvalishvili Predictions & Picks – Yan To Enjoy Successful UFC 333 Title Defence
- Yan tipped to retain UFC bantamweight title by decision against Dvalishvili
- Previous fights between Yan and Dvalishvili, and their recent records, indicate a high likelihood of the bout going to the judges’ scorecards
- Yan’s superior striking is expected to be the deciding factor
Petr Yan (Getty Images)
Petr Yan vs Merab Dvalishvili Predictions & Picks
Petr Yan is tipped this trilogy fight and retain the UFC bantamweight title.
Merab Dvalishvili burnt himself out ahead of the last fight, and we expect to see a much sharper performance from the Russian in this one.
However, Yan’s superior striking can be the difference once again, as he works his way to a decision win.
- Each of Petr Yan’s last 8 fights went the distance
- Petr Yan’s last 5 wins all came via decision
- Merab Dvalishvili has gone the distance in 13 of his last 15 fights
- 4 of Merab Dvalishvili’s 5 career defeats came on points
- The two previous meetings were settled by judges’ decision
Head To Head
- Merab Dvalishvili won by unanimous decision when the two men met in March 2023
- Petr Yan won by unanimous decision when the two men last fought in December 2025
Petr Yan Form
Petr Yan is the defending UFC bantamweight champion with a professional record of 20-5 (7 KOs, 1 Subs).
Yan debuted in the UFC in June 2019 and reeled off three consecutive wins in his debut year as he knocked out Teruto Ishihara, out-pointed Jin-Soo Son, and stopped Douglas Silva de Andrade.
He continued his climb up the bantamweight ladder 2019 as he stepped up the level of competition, earning himself a fight for the vacant title.
The 33-year-old Russian beat John Dodson and Jimmie Rivera by unanimous decision, before knockout out the legendary Urijah Faber in the third round.
Yan took his big chance too, as he knocked out another legend, Jose Aldo, in the final round to win the bantamweight title.
He lost the belt in his first defence, as he was disqualified for an illegal knee against Aljamain Sterling, only to win the interim title seven months later as he beat Cory Sandhagen on points.
However, that October 2021 victory would prove to be his last for two-and-a-half years.
Yan dropped a split decision to Sterling in their rematch, and then suffered a split decision defeat to Sean O’Malley before losing via unanimous decision to Merab Dvalishvili.
He finally stopped the rot in March 2024 when he beat Song Yadong on points, and was able to back that up with unanimous decision wins over Deiveson Figueiredo and Marcus McGhee.
‘No Mercy’ then regained the bantamweight belt last year, as he won the rematch with Dvalishvili via unanimous decision.
Merab Dvalishvili Form
Merab Dvalishvili is the number one ranked bantamweight contender with a professional record of 21-5 (3 KOs, 2 Subs).
Dvalishvili entered the UFC in late 2017 and got off to a rough start as he lost his first two fights.
He turned things around over the next couple of years though, as he reeled off seven consecutive victories to make himself a player in the bantamweight division.
The 35-year-old Russian then scored three big wins to earn himself a shot at the championship in September 2024 – beating Jose Aldo, Petr Yan and Henry Cejudo on points.
Dvalishvili completed his rise to the top of the ladder as he out-pointed Sean O’Malley over five rounds to become bantamweight champion.
In his first defence he beat Umar Nurmagomedov on points, and followed that up with a third-round submission win over O’Malley in their rematch.
He would fight two more times in 2025, with mixed results.
‘The Machine’ retained the bantamweight title in October with a unanimous decision win over Cory Sandhagen, only to surrender the championship in December when he lost a decision to Petr Yan in their rematch.
Verdict
Fighting four times last year was not the wisest move by Merab Dvalishvili, and it showed when he lost the title to Petr Yan last December.
Dvalishvili has had a little lay-off since then and should be sharper, but we expect Petr Yan’s striking to be the difference again as he retains on points.
Dvalishvili has had a little lay-off since then and should be sharper, but we expect Petr Yan’s striking to be the difference again as he retains on points.
Leigh Copson
Sports Editor • 25+ Years Experience, US & Combat Sports Specialist
US sports writer covering the NFL, NBA, NHL, boxing and MMA, with previews, predictions and betting tips across the major American leagues.
During his career at the Press Association and online sports sites including FreeTips and ExpertPicks.com, he has covered some of the biggest sporting events on the planet, including the Super Bowl, the Champions League Final and the World Cup Final.
He has also covered almost every major boxing match and UFC fight card during this time.. His specialist sports are American Football, Basketball, Ice Hockey, Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts and Football.