Bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili captured the 135-pound title by defeating Sean O’Malley in September 2024. He’s defended the belt three times this year and will put it on line for a fourth time in 2025 this weekend in the UFC 323 main event.
Dvalishvili faces former champion Petr Yan in a rematch at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday. The two first fought at UFC Fight Night 221 in March 2023. Dvalishvili defeated Yan that night in Las Vegas via unanimous decision. It was the last time Yan lost a fight. Former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker believes Dvalishvili will pick up a second win over the Russian.