Petr Yan was unable to replicate what another of Merab Dvalishvili’s opponents did the first time they met.
In 2023, Dvalishvili attempted a staggering 49 takedowns when beating Petr Yan at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas over five rounds.
It was a typically suffocating performance from ‘The Machine’, implementing the same style that he has used to build a 14-fight win streak.
Dvalishvili has been critical of Yan for claiming that the injuries he dealt with ahead of their first fight are why their upcoming rematch will be different.
Stopping the bantamweight champion’s takedowns, as one opponent was able to do, will be crucial to the Russian challenger getting his revenge at UFC 323 on December 6.
LATEST NEWS: Merab Dvalishvili snubs Umar Nurmagomedov rematch when naming the fight he wants after UFC 323 Can Petr Yan earn revenge when challenging Merab Dvalishvili for the bantamweight title?
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Jose Aldo denied all 16 of Merab Dvalishvili’s takedown attempts in 2022After Merab Dvalishvili suffered losses early in his UFC career, he turned into one of the most dominant fighters in the sport.
‘The Machine’ has put together a remarkable run by beating many of the top names in the division before attempting a record-breaking fourth title defense in a calendar year.
While it didn’t stop Dvalishvili from continuing his bantamweight ascent, one of the legends that he faced off with, who is known for his excellent takedown defense, was able to prevent all of the Georgian’s attempts.
Is Merab Dvalishvili the greatest bantamweight of all time?
Merab Dvalishvili’s last seven wins:
✅ Cory Sandhagen
✅ Sean O’Malley
✅ Umar Nurmagomedov
✅ Sean O’Malley
✅ Henry Cejudo
✅ Petr Yan
✅ Jose Aldo
One of the most elite resumes in UFC history 😤 #UFC320 pic.twitter.com/xdLN2kYrVM
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 5, 2025 View Tweet
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At UFC 278 in August, 2022, Dvalishvili defeated Jose Aldo over three rounds in what was the Brazilian icon’s final fight before he returned two years later.
On the same night that Leon Edwards knocked out Kamaru Usman to win the welterweight title, Aldo denied all 16 of his opponent’s takedowns.
However, all three judges still scored each round for Dvalishvili, which was helped by him racking up just over five minutes of control time against the fence.
Similar opponents like Alexander Volkanovski and Mario Bautista have had success against Aldo with this strategy, which also plays into how Petr Yan must approach his rematch on December 6.
LATEST NEWS: Aljamain Sterling predicts Merab Dvalishvili to do something he hasn’t done in four years at UFC 323
Photo by Buda Mendes/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty ImagesWhat does the Jose Aldo fight mean for Petr Yan and his chances at UFC 232?The stats from Merab Dvalishvili’s first fight with Petr Yan paint an interesting picture of the fight.
For a start, Dvalishvili only had success with 11 of his 49 attempted takedowns and managed less than seven minutes of control time.
While these could be seen as positives for Yan, his opponent’s relentless output meant that he landed less than half of the Georgian’s total strikes.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty ImagesWe saw in the champion’s fight with Jose Aldo that defending takedowns isn’t enough to win the fight because by forcing you to be defensive, he takes away his opponent’s offense.
Cory Sandhagen had some good moments against Dvalishvili in October but they became overshadowed by the sheer work rate of ‘The Machine’.
It was Dvalishvili’s output that caused Yan the biggest problems when they first met and while it’s hard to tell whether this is even possible, somehow finding a way to discourage the defending champion appears to be the only way of stopping this if you can’t knock him out cold.
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