Merab Dvalishvili outpaces Petr Yan for 25 minutes to earn unanimous decision – UFC Las Vegas Highlights
On Saturday night, No. 2 ranked bantamweight Petr Yan looked to get back into the win column after dropping back-to-back split decisions against Sean O’Malley and reigning 135-pound champion Aljamain Sterling. Standing in his way is No. 4 ranked competitor Merab Dvalishvili. Riding an eight-fight win streak, ‘The Machine’ was intent on getting the biggest win of his MMA career and solidifying his opportunity to challenge for the bantamweight title.
Both fighters came out for the opening round intent on setting a frantic pace. Dvalishvili repeatedly shot for takedowns, but Yan did a great job of staying on his feet. Less than a minute to go, Yan rushed in for his own takedown attempt, but Dvalishvili quickly reversed the position and made ‘No Mercy’ pay for it with a series of strikes as the opening round came to a close.
After dominating through the first round, Dvalishvili picked up right where he left off in the second, beating Yan to the punch and battering the former two-time UFC champion’s leg. That dominance continued through the third as Dvalishvili’s pace never once waned as he brilliantly mixed his striking and takedown attempts. Merab Dvalishvili continued to dominate throughout the championship rounds, continuing his impressive pace as Yan found it difficult to muster any real offense.
Living up to his nickname, ‘The Machine’ set a new record, shooting for an incredible 49 takedown attempts during the 25-minute affair.
Official Result: Merab Dvalishvili def. Petr Yan via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
