Dana White praises Merab Dvalishvili with one-word message following UFC 323

Dana White had some big praise for Merab Dvalishvili following UFC 323, and he only needed one word to get his point across.

Dvalishvili attempted to set a new record for the most successful UFC title defenses in a single year on Saturday. “The Machine” wasn’t able to achieve the feat, as he has finally met his match in Petr Yan. Dvalishvili actually had a unanimous decision win over Yan back in 2023, but their rematch played out far differently.

Yan defeated Dvalishvili via unanimous decision to reclaim the UFC Bantamweight Championship. After the fight, White took to social media to post an image of Dvalishvili’s face post-fight with a one-word caption.

Dana White just shared a picture of Merab Dvalishvili’s face after #UFC323 pic.twitter.com/cl8xkvWaCc

— Nolan King (@mma_kings) December 7, 2025

“Savage,” White wrote in the caption.

During his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Dvalishvili discussed the end of his 135-pound title reign. Dvalishvili has his sights set on a trilogy fight.

“I tried to give all an entertaining fight, and I lost today,” Dvalishvili said. “It was a bad game today. Congratulations to him, but I want a rematch. I want to run it back.”

Dvalishvili followed up with a brief statement on his X account.

https://twitter.com/MerabDvalishvil/status/1997571322654908640

“Tonight wasn’t my night, but I will back stronger than ever,” Dvalishvili wrote. “Thank you everyone for your support.”

What will happen next in the UFC bantamweight title picture remains to be seen. While “The Machine” is hoping for a rematch, there will be a pivotal 135-pound fight on the UFC 324 card. Umar Nurmagomedov will take on Deiveson Figueiredo. Nurmagomedov sent out a post on social media, and he vowed to become the No. 1 contender after Jan. 24.

Prior to UFC 323, Dvalishvili told Newsweek Sports that he planned to remain active in 2026. Whether or not he will take a break following his defeat to Yan remains to be seen. Stick with BJPenn.com for the latest updates on the UFC bantamweight title picture.