UFC - UFC 323
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by Devesh Jaganath | in UFC Predictions
The T-Mobile Arena will light up for UFC 323 this weekend, with the headline bout of the night being Merab Dvalishvili vs. Petr Yan 2 for the UFC Bantamweight title. The Machine has a pro record of 21-4-0, while No Mercy is 19-5-0. Let’s get into the match prediction!
Merab Dvalishvili is not just heading into this bout aiming to retain his title; he is also eyeing up a piece of history by trying to defend it for the fourth time in the past 12 months.
Since defeating Sean O’Malley for the strap in 2024, The Machine has beaten Umar Nurmagomedov, O’Malley (again) and most recently Cory Sanghagen on October 5. He is now on a 14-match win streak in the UFC.
In terms of key stats, the Georgian lands 4.33 significant strikes per minute at a 42% accuracy. He scores 6.4 takedowns per 15 minutes with a 37% success rate, and defends them at 48%.
Meanwhile, former champion and perennial title contender Petr Yan earned his shot at the belt by securing a unanimous decision victory over Marcus McGhee at UFC Fight Night in July.
Indeed, No Mercy’s last defeat was against Dvalishvili in March 2023. Since then, he has built up a three-match win streak with victories against Song Yadong and Deiveson Figueiredo.
The Russian lands 5.12 significant strikes per minute with a 54% accuracy. While his strength is his boxing, Yan does have a takedown defence of 85%.
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Merab Dvalishvili - Petr Yan Key Points
- Merab Dvalishvili is on a 14-match win streak.
- Merab Dvalishvili beat this opponent by unanimous decision in 2023.
- Merab Dvalishvili scores 6.40 takedowns per 15 minutes.
- Petr Yan has lost three of his last six matches.
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Our Merab Dvalishvili vs Petr Yan Prediction
After almost four years, Petr Yan finally gets another shot at the Bantamweight title, but this time it’s against an opponent who beat him comprehensively in their last bout, and is arguably the most dominant champion on the UFC roster.
Merab Dvalishvili outclassed Cory Sandhagen in October, and given his cardio and overall fitness level, there is a case to be made that he will be even more prepared for this match. The Georgian is looking to become the first champion to make four title defences in a year, and we feel he will not be denied the historic moment. Our Merab Dvalishvili vs Petr Yan prediction is Merab Dvalishvili wins.
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All tips are fully researched and given in good faith, but profits cannot be guaranteed.
