Fighter vs. Fighter · Full Fight Video
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Use the chapters to jump to rounds, turning points, and the finish.
What happened
The result, the defining moments, and what the verdict means.
Dvalishvili set the terms immediately, forcing Yan to defend repeated entries and work back to the centre whenever the fight opened up. Yan's elbows and counterstrikes made the exchanges competitive, but the challenger kept returning to the legs and the fence.
The same pattern held through the championship rounds: Yan found clean moments when he created space, while Dvalishvili answered with another scramble, another clinch or another takedown attempt. The sustained activity left Yan needing a finish in the final round.
The judges — Mike Bell, Sal D'Amato and Junichiro Kamijo — each scored the fight 50-45 for Dvalishvili, who completed the five-round shutout by unanimous decision.
- Mike Bell50-45 Dvalishvili
- Sal D'Amato50-45 Dvalishvili
- Junichiro Kamijo50-45 Dvalishvili
- Official UFC resultsUFC Fight Night: Yan vs Dvalishvili — Results, Highlights & Winner Interviews
- Nevada Athletic Commission resultsNevada Athletic Commission — March 11, 2023 MMA Results
Fight breakdown
Read the tactical story round by round, then jump straight to each turning point. Back to player
0:44Round 1
Dvalishvili immediately forced the main event into his preferred geography, chaining takedown attempts and making Yan work against the fence. Yan answered with elbows and calf kicks, but Merab's pressure kept the round busy and physical.
- 0:46R1 · Dvalishvili's opening takedownDvalishvili shoots immediately and puts Yan under early pressure.
- 2:23R1 · elbow on the breakYan creates damage as they separate from the fence.
- 3:44R1 · calf kick damageYan's lead-leg work begins to show as Dvalishvili keeps pressuring.
- 4:24R1 · huge elbow on the breakYan lands a hard elbow during another close exchange.
5:48Round 2
Yan found sharper counters and elbows as the exchanges opened, yet Dvalishvili kept returning to the legs. Every time Yan created separation, Merab re-entered, scrambled through the defense and kept the pace high.
11:30Round 3
The third became a sustained takedown-defense test. Yan repeatedly defended and returned to the center, while Dvalishvili piled up attempts and mixed in pressure strikes. The record-setting pace made every reset temporary.
16:03Round 4
Yan had his best positional answers when he reversed against the fence and landed clean moments, including a spinning backfist. Dvalishvili absorbed the counters, returned to his calf kick and kept forcing another wrestling exchange.
21:00Round 5
Yan needed a finish and opened the final round with urgency, mixing head kicks, overhands, hooks and body shots. Dvalishvili still drove through another takedown and answered with his own right hand, closing out a unanimous-decision win.
- 24:11R5 · Yan throws the kitchen sinkWith a finish needed, Yan turns to head kicks, overhands and big hooks.
- 24:31R5 · body shot hurts DvalishviliYan lands to the body and briefly makes Dvalishvili react.
- 25:05R5 · another Dvalishvili takedownDvalishvili returns to the legs even in the final minute.
- 25:16R5 · huge right from DvalishviliMerab answers the late push with a hard right hand of his own.