What is Next for the New Russian Bantamweight Champion?
Petr Yan pulled off a massive victory against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 323. This unanimous decision victory scored the belt back for Yan, ending the reign of Merab Dvalishvili. This was an exciting result as Merab has held the belt for over a year. A new champion adds new scenarios and much to look forward to.
Merab was on an incredible run that looked almost unstoppable. He managed to pull off what the UFC had never seen before and defended his title four times within one calendar year. Unfortunately for him, this most recent defense did not go the way he had planned. This may have been a possible attacking point for Yan as defending one’s belt that many times can have a lot of tolls on a fighter's physical and mental strength. This was a statement win for the 32-year-old fighter. He absolutely dominated with great striking and effective takedown defense. This added a crucial amount of confidence for Yan going forward. Not only for having the belt, but from who he took it from. Many fighters in the Bantamweight Division, including Yan, worked their fighting style around Merab. The new champion drastically changes the landscape, with possibly new champions in the future. Yan has possessed the belt in the past, but will look to hold it for longer this time around. Continuing to work on his training and game plan will be crucial. Yan had much improved striking in this fight, which showed he is serious about perfecting his game and always working to get better. The talented Russian fighter is entering 2026 with momentum on his side and a belt to show why he is at the top of the division.
What is coming next in the Bantamweight Division is very exciting. New contenders will arise to dethrone Yan as he does his best to defend it. Merab can also find himself back in the title shot contention with some much-needed wins going forward. Regardless of what happens next, Yan should be extremely proud of himself for pulling off this victory. Merab had seemed like an unstoppable force, but Yan was able to stop his dominance. The future is exciting and very bright for Petr Yan.
