Georgia lost one its champions in UFC 323.
Merab Dvalishvili had been flying the nation’s flag as one of the UFC’s most dominant titleholders, breaking numerous records across three successful title defenses in 2025.
But in his pursuit of a history-making fourth retention of this calendar year, Dvalishvili was beaten by Petr Yan in a shocking UFC 323 rematch that saw the Russian win a five-round decision against ‘The Machine’.
The upset result in Las Vegas brought one of the most impressive reigns in recent memory to an end, but one prominent friend of Dvalishvili’s is predicting that he will bounce back in a big way.
LATEST NEWS: Sean O’Malley thinks he’s in line for the ‘biggest bantamweight fight in history’ after UFC 323
What do you think of the UFC 323 main fight between Merab Dvalishvili (left) and Petr Yán (right)?
The Russian challenger put on a masterclass to dethrone 'The Machine' in Las Vegas.
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Ilia topuria sent a message of support to Merab Dvalishvili following UFC 323
Dvalishvili & Ilia topuria won gold together in their respective UFC divisions. The pair has often sent supportive pre-and post-fight messages.
Despite the ongoing issues in his personal life that have resulted in Topuria taking a hiatus from the UFC, the lightweight champion still took to social media to back his compatriot after Saturday’s difficult setback.
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2025-12-07 20:30:00
