Islam Makhachev, Kamaru Usman, and Others Send Personal Message to Merab Dvalishvili After Petr Yan Loss at UFC 323

In a fight where urgency matters, Merab Dvalishvili needed something drastic, and it never came, or rather, ‘No Mercy’ never let him change the momentum of the fight.

After the fight, Kamaru Usman zoomed out from the moment to the meaning as he wrote on X, “What a fight!! Congratulations to both men @MerabDvalishvil & @PetrYanUFC.” For a former pound-for-pound king, this wasn’t about hype. It was about quality. Five rounds. Adjustments and pride earned on both sides.

Others highlighted the broader night. Terrance McKinney summed up the atmosphere beyond the main event as he pointed out, “Man this had to be one of the top 5 best cards ever let’s give a hand to all these warriors sheesh what a incredible night of fights.”

That context matters. UFC 323 wasn’t just one title fight; it was a benchmark PPV closing the ESPN-era chapter before the Paramount Skydance shift in 2026. And the main event? It delivered beyond what fans and fighters were expecting as we now break down the clash between two relentless titans of the division.

Petr Yan rips back his title from Merab Dvalishvili as UFC 323 main event leaves fellow fighters in awe

Petr Yan pressed early, backing the champion toward the fence and establishing his jab. Dvalishvili answered with volume and pressure, chaining takedown attempts even as Yan’s balance and defense refused to crack. By the midpoint of Round 1, Yan appeared to rock the Georgian, forcing the champ into grappling exchanges that went nowhere. It was a warning sign.

Round 2 mirrored the theme. Dvalishvili landed and pushed. Yan defended, reversed, and even landed his own takedown, briefly flipping the script. When Yan slammed the champion in Round 3, the arena buzzed. Dvalishvili survived, but the damage told. His nose was bloodied. Yan’s body work began to matter. The challenger slowed him just enough to create separation.

By the championship rounds, the visual gap widened. Yan dug the body, landed kicks, and even flashed a spinning back fist. Dvalishvili kept coming, but the pace that usually drowns opponents wasn’t producing takedowns or momentum. Yan entered Round 5 likely ahead, and he closed without panic, landing one last takedown to seal the cards: 49-46, 49-46, 48-47.

So, where does this leave Merab Dvalishvili? Still historic. Still the first Georgian-born UFC champion. Still the owner of the UFC’s all-time takedown record with 119 to his name after UFC 323. Still the man who beat Yan the first time, ran through José Aldo, Henry Cejudo, Sean O’Malley, Umar Nurmagomedov, and Cory Sandhagen, and built a reign on relentlessness. One loss doesn’t erase that.

And Petr Yan? He didn’t just regain a belt. He proved he could solve a puzzle no one had cracked in years. His takedown defense, patience, and body work exposed just enough vulnerability to flip the title back. Losses define what wins don’t. This one drew a line under Dvalishvili’s reign without crossing out his legacy, and the messages that poured in made that clear.

When champions speak, they usually tell you what matters. On this night, they said the same thing: history was challenged, greatness respected, and a rivalry was completed, at least for now.