Popular UFC analyst dismisses Petr Yan’s chances against Merab Dvalishvili in rematch

One well-known UFC analyst and coach isn’t convinced that Petr Yan can find an answer against Merab Dvalishvili.

It was announced by Dana White that Dvalishvili is scheduled to put his bantamweight title on the line against Yan at UFC 323 on Dec. 6. If Dvalishvili can emerge victorious, he’ll set a new record for the most UFC title defenses in a single year. He’s already thwarted challenges from Umar Nurmagomedov, Sean O’Malley, and Cory Sandhagen this year.

In an interview with MMAJunkie.com, Din Thomas admitted that while he thinks Yan is a cut above most bantamweights, he can’t see the former champion getting revenge on “The Machine.”

“He’s [Dvalishvili] just a different level of human being,” Thomas said. “I don’t know how he gets beat right now. I think Petr Yan is a great fighter and he’s got so many tools and so good at what he does. I don’t see what he can do differently to stop Merab. Everybody has tried with that style. Stop the shot, stop the takedown. You just get punched in the face, then when you try to punch back, you get taken down anyway. I don’t know what they do differently.”

Yan first shared the Octagon with Dvalishvili in the main event of a “Fight Night” card in Las Vegas back in 2023. Dvalishvili won the fight via unanimous decision. Dvalishvili’s relentless takedown pressure allowed him to find success in the standup. Whether or not Yan can adjust remains to be seen.

Yan’s loss to Dvalishvili was his third defeat in a row at the time. Since that fight, Yan has bounced back with three straight losses. Victories over Song Yadong, Deiveson Figueiredo, and Marcus McGhee have led Yan back to title contention.

Stick with BJPenn.com for the latest updates on the UFC 323 card, which will be the top MMA promotion’s year-end pay-per-view event.