Merab Dvalishvili vs. Petr Yan 2: Live round-by-round updates: UFC 323: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Petr Yan 2: Live round-by-round updates

Merab Dvalishvili enters this main event as a champion who has set a pace the division has never seen. His fourth title defense of the year feels like an extension of the pace he has imposed on every opponent who has stepped into his orbit.

Dvalishvili’s game has matured into a blend of pressure, conditioning, and tactical awareness that forces fighters to make decisions under far more stress than they expect. His win over Cory Sandhagen at UFC 320 was another display of his dominant run.

Meanwhile, Petr Yan stands across from him with the look of a former champion who has repaired his foundations. His recent victory over Marcus McGhee in Abu Dhabi carried signature Yan traits with his clean balance, measured pressure, and sharp reads in the pocket.

Their first meeting in 2023 was a loss for Yan, but the rematch takes on a different context because both men have changed. Yan believes the previous result does not reflect his true form, while Dvalishvili has grown more confident in the system that carried him through fourteen consecutive wins.

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UFC 323 main card airs on ESPN2 and streams on ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET and 5 p.m. PT. Early prelims stream on UFC Fight Pass and ESPN+ at 6 p.m. ET and 3 p.m. PT.

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for full live coverage and play-by-play updates of UFC 323:

Round 1

Yan pressures Dvalishvili behind the black line and tries to get in with his attacks. Yan answers with a pair of jabs that snap his head back. Dvalishvili crashes into a quick clinch and fires a left hook on the break. Yan settles in and drills him with three stiff jabs. Blood starts to leak under Dvalishvili’s left eye as they trade in the pocket. Yan lands a hard one-two that sends his rival circling out. Dvalishvili snatches a leg and chains through takedown attempts while Yan fires short elbows to break the grip. Yan slips free, only for Dvalishvili to wrap him again and drive knees into the thigh. Tight round with little to separate them.

Our Score: 10-9 Yan

Round 2

Dvalishvili opens the round by firing a crisp one-two. He wastes no time driving Yan to the fence and hunting for the takedown, but Yan’s defense holds firm. Yan answers with a sharp left hook that lands flush, though Dvalishvili keeps pressing forward. Dvalishvili tags him with a left of his own, and Yan fires back with a body kick before snapping out another strong jab.

Yan manages to take Dvalishvili down, but the position flips as Dvalishvili scrambles straight to the back. Yan wriggles free and turns him into the fence while Merab threatens a guillotine. Yan slips out again. Dvalishvili stays glued to him yet still can’t drag him to the mat. Their strike numbers stay tight, though Yan remains far more accurate. Dvalishvili closes the round with a few clean shots.

Our Score: 10-9 Yan (20-18 overall)

Round 3

Dvalishvili jumps right back into the action and lands a hard shot. Yan responds by tossing him straight onto his head, but Dvalishvili pops up and rips sharp elbows in the clinch. Blood pours from his cuts, yet he drives through a deep double leg, lifts Yan clean off the floor, and plants him in the center. Yan springs back up. Dvalishvili drags him down again, and once more Yan scrambles to his feet.

Dvalishvili chases a single leg and sneaks a knee into the body. He is relentless now, mixing punches with a stiff jab as he keeps testing Yan’s balance. Yan sprawls well and lands a knee, but Dvalishvili spins into a backfist and stays glued to him. They trade jabs, then clinch and fire knees into the torso. Dvalishvili’s face is smeared with blood. Yan digs a brutal liver kick that clearly hurts him. Dvalishvili had been edging the round before that shot landed.

Our Score: 10-9 Yan (30-27 overall)

Round 4

The pace dips as both fighters take a moment to reset. Dvalishvili presses first and dives back into his takedown hunt, but Yan turns him and pins him on the fence. Dvalishvili drops on a guillotine and squeezes hard, though Yan slips free and answers with a knee to the body. Dvalishvili fires two of his sharpest punches of the fight, only for Yan to answer with a steady left.

Yan’s gas tank looks strong as he sprawls on more entries and keeps the jab working. He snaps Dvalishvili’s head back with a right hand, then digs another liver kick that opens a flurry. A left hand lands clean. A tight left hook follows. Yan hurts him once more with a ripping body shot and stacks combos upstairs, though Dvalishvili fires counters to push him back.

Our Score: 10-9 Yan. (40-46 overall)

Round 5

Dvalishvili enters the final round needing something big. This fight is slipping away, and Yan now controls the forward pressure. Yan stays committed to the body and rattles him with a neat one-two followed by two sharp uppercuts. Dvalishvili shoots again but gets stuffed yet again. Yan briefly looks for his own takedown and walks straight into a guillotine, but he powers out as Dvalishvili’s blood makes everything slick. Yan hurts him badly with another shot to the liver. A knee to the face lands clean. Another liver kick follows. Yan closes with a statement takedown as the horn sounds.

Our Result: (10-9 Yan, 50-45 overall)

Official Result

Petr Yan defeats Merab Dvalishvili by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, and 48-47).