The UFC Fight Night Yan vs. Dvalishvili brings a battle between two bantamweight contenders, one of them being the former champion, and the other a rising force in the division. Petr Yan is one of the best fighters in the organization, but a strange turn of events has brought him to this position. Meanwhile, Merab Dvalishvili is in fantastic form, and defeating Yan would surely make him the next challenger.
BetXchange made a preview of this bout, and pick for the same.
YAN vs DVALISHVILI! #UFCLasVegas is LIVE TOMORROW on @ESPNPlus! pic.twitter.com/dxFGN4DuGG
— danawhite (@danawhite) March 10, 2023
Yan vs. Dvalishvili Preview
Petr Yan
The Russian has lost his previous couple of fights, one against Aljamain Sterling and the other against Sean O’Malley. Both were via split decision, and both of those decisions were questionable, to say the least. The majority of the MMA community believed that the scoring judges rigged the scores in favor of Yan’s rivals, and even O’Malley looked surprised to hear Bruce Buffer announcing his name.
Yan lost the title to Aljo due to his illegal knee hit to the head, previously humiliating the American, and ripping him apart. After that, he defeated Cory Sandhagen before losing the two above-mentioned events. The second one against Sterling was an awfully dull fight, with Aljo avoiding battle and passively holding Yan on the ground or in the clinch most of the time. The one against O’Malley saw much more action, with both guys delivering a spectacle, yet the overall impression was that the Russain won.
No Mercy, as the fans call Yan, is a vicious striker, a Muay Thai elite, and there aren’t too many guys in the UFC who are able to combine hits like him. Speed and explosiveness are at the highest possible level, and so is Yan’s cardio.
Merab Dvalisvili
This fighter’s nickname is the Machine, and there is a very good reason for that. Dvalishvili damages his rivals on the mat with constant wrestling and an incredibly high tempo. Though, he never reached championship rounds, which puts doubt on his cardio, with many saying even though it looks impressive so far, it has never been tested properly.
The Georgian native has eight straight victories, which is one of the most impressive streaks in the division and the organization. The most recent and the most notable were against Cody Statman, Marlon Moraes and Jose Aldo, two via unanimous decision and a TKO against Moraes. He doesn’t have more prominent names in his CV, but overall, 15 triumphs in 19 octagon appearances need to be respected. Also, 11 of Merab’s victories came via decision.
We’ve said it already, Dvalishvili is a very strong and powerful guy whose wrestling is among the best in the division. When we combine that with his very robust physique, it’s no wonder he reached this level. Once he takes the rival on the mat, there is no going back because Dvalishvili exploits the position in the best possible way.
Yan vs. Dvalishvili Prediction
Yan fought guys like his upcoming rival, and we can’t say the same for the Dvalishvili. He did beat Jose Aldo, but the Brazilian was retiring at the time, far from his peak. In our humble opinion, Yan is the best bantamweight fighter in the world, and we simply have to bet on his victory in this particular event. He has a very solid takedown defense, knows how to keep the distance between himself and the rival, and overall, likes to fight aggressive fighters such as Dvalishvili, who likes to attack and dictate the tempo. It opens the space for his vicious counters and strikes, which eventually either KO the rival or improve the situation on the scorecards.
Pick: Yan 1/3 at BetXchange
