Petr Yan had to dig deep in his bantamweight championship defense against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 333, but he was able to put on one of the most impressive performances of his career to win a rubber match over the former champion.

Dvalishvili won their first meeting in 2023 before going on to claim the title Yan had previously held. Yan kicked off his second reign as champion this past December, avenging that loss with a decision win over Dvalishvili.

Be sure to keep up with all the action on Saturday with our live coverage of UFC 333, including round-by-round scoring and updated fight results throughout the night!

Dvalishvili, being a notably faster starter than Yan, brought an expected high-energy approach to the start of the fight. Dvalishvili came out firing big right hands and pushing for takedowns, though Yan capably fended off the takedown attempts to keep the fight standing, and quickly got to his feet in the moments when Dvalishvili was able to finish a takedown attempt. Despite Yan's strong grappling defense, Dvalishvili's constant movement and attack put Yan in a position where he was unable to use his own offensive tools.

Yan landed some hard punches in the early stages of the second round, but Dvalishvili's pace continued to dictate the action, and he was able to get inside and work for takedowns, putting constant pressure on Yan, even when Yan was able to fend off the takedown attempts. Yan's moments were coming in spurts while Dvalishvili was keeping the faucet all the way open.

While things looked as though they'd continue to play out as they had been early in the third round, Yan went back to a tool that had worked well in the rematch, a hard left kick to the body that sent Dvalishvili stumbling backward grabbing at his liver. Dvalishvili recovered, but Yan finished the third having suddenly found success with repeated striking combinations.

Yan continued to build on that momentum in Round 4, bringing a constant stream of slick boxing to land to Dvalishvili's head and body. The shots to the body especially seemed to bother Dvalishvili, and Yan was also consistent in fending off Dvalishvili's increasingly desperate takedown attempts.

Despite Dvalishvili's legendary motor and cardio, Yan appeared to be the fresher fighter in the final round, and he used that energy to continue putting big strikes on Dvalishvili.

The question at the end of five rounds was who took the third round on the official scorecards. Dvailishvili clearly won the first half of the fight, and the third round, but was Yan's big momentum-turning moment with the body kick in Round 3 enough to retain the title? From that kick onward, the fight had been entirely Yan's.

When the official scorecards were read, all three judges saw the fight 48-47 for Yan, winning him the rivalry with an incredible performance where he outlasted and outthought Dvalishvili.

Speaking through an interpreter after the fight, Yan made it clear he knew he could not afford to take his foot off the gas when the fight was entering it's final stages.

"I was listening to my coach," Yan said. "And he said, 'Look, we're going to the fifth round, and it's two-two. You win the round, you win the fight.'"

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