Joe Rogan praises Petr Yan’s ‘master class’ after upset win over Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 323

Longtime UFC analyst Joe Rogan put Petr Yan’s performance at UFC 323 as one of the all-time greatest showings.

Petr Yan got his revenge over Merab Dvalishvili to reclaim the UFC bantamweight championship belt at UFC 323 last Saturday. In what was a five-round instant classic, Yan shut down Dvalishvili’s grappling in the later rounds to score a unanimous decision win.

A turning point in Yan’s win was when he landed a shocking body kick that had Dvalishvili badly hurt mid-fight. From that moment onward, Dvalishvili wasn’t as aggressive in all aspects of the bout as Yan dictated the fight’s direction and pace.

Two of Yan’s former rivals, Sean O’Malley and Aljamain Sterling, lauded Yan’s performance in the cage at UFC 323. Longtime UFC analyst Joe Rogan believes Yan’s showing stands on its own, after stopping Dvalishvili’s dominant win streak.

Joe Rogan gives glowing praise to Petr Yan after UFC 323 victory

During a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan noted the significance of Yan’s performance at UFC 323.

“F—! What a master class!” Rogan said of Yan.

“When you’re going to fight a guy like Merab, that is THE master class. He put on a clinic! His training camp must’ve been hell, had to be hell, and he looked like it. Some wild strength and conditioning, and he knew what he was in for.

“That’s the thing – if you’re going to fight a guy like Merab, you know what the mountain is. Are you ready to climb it?”

In their first fight, Dvalishvili showcased a history-making performance against Yan in 2023, attempting a record 49 takedowns and shutting down Yan’s trademark striking. It was an entirely different fight in their rematch as Dvalishvili failed to land consistent takedowns on Yan.

A trilogy between Dvalishvili and Yan is likely the UFC’s next move for the bantamweight division. Dvalishvili recently admitted that the UFC matchmakers have already assured him that he’ll get his chance at revenge against Yan for his return, tentatively targeted for Spring-Summer 2026.