Merab Dvilashvili beats Petr Yan in UFC Fight Night main event

Heavyweight battle between two-time former champions in the bantamweight division Petr Yan and ranked number 3 merab dvilashvili Saturday’s UFC Fight Night highlights.

Yan was looking to rebound after back-to-back split decision losses. Dvilashvili entered the fight riding an eight-fight winning streak with his eyes on a championship opportunity.

Dvilashvili quickly looked to take the fight to the ground, but Yan defended the first two attempts. Yan landed leg kicks and rocked the takedown again and again. Dvalishvili kept an incredible pace in the early stages. Late in the frame, Yan tried to take down Dvilashvili, but was knocked down. He rose to his feet and the round came to a close with Dvilashvili working Yana against the cage.

Yan pressed ahead to start second. He quickly found himself defending an attempt to oust Dvilashvili. Dvilashvili executed a leg kick that hurt Yan. Dvalishvili switched levels and put Yan on his back for the first time in the fight. Yan quickly rose to his feet. He caught a kick and sent Dvilashvili to the canvas but could not keep him there. In the closing minutes, Dvalishvili scored a takedown. The round ended with Yan on top of Dvalishvili.

They exchanged leg kicks to start the third. Dvalishvili continued to apply the pressure. Repeatedly Dvilashvili tried to move the fight to the ground. Yan defended almost all of them, but Dvilashvili didn’t give Yan the space to land an effective strike.

Entering the fourth round, Yan was clearly three rounds down. Soon, he was in the clutches of Dvilashvili. They were battling for position along the cage. They exchanged knees to the body and separated. Dvalishvili’s production remained high. He connected with a combination before working to get the takedown.

Dvilashvili entered the final round with a shutout. Yan needed a finish to win. Dvilashvili pressed forward with leg kicks. That’s not giving the vehicle time or space to do anything other than rescue. He lowered the vehicle several times, but the vehicle kept rising back up. Yan fought till the end, but it was a one-sided contest. All three judges scored it 50-45 for Dvilashvili.

“The Machine” extended his winning streak to nine straight fights. He could emerge as the top contender in the division during the next ranking cycle. This is Yan’s third consecutive defeat.

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