After five rounds, the judges unanimously awarded victory to the Russian with scores of 49:46, 49:46, and 48:47. Petr Yan reclaimed the title he held from July 2020 until March 2021, when he lost it due to disqualification in a fight against Aljamain Sterling.
For Merab Dvalishvili, this defeat was his first since 2018. His streak of 14 consecutive wins was one of the longest in UFC history. At the time of the fight, he ranked third in the list of top fighters regardless of weight class.
Dvalishvili, who is 33 years old, held the title since September 2024 and successfully defended it three times in 2025, setting a record for the most title defenses in a calendar year in the UFC. However, he was unable to achieve a unique milestone — Petr Yan regained his championship belt and returned to the top of the division.
