Petr Yan Survives Record Takedown Barrage to Retain Bantamweight Title at UFC 333

Petr Yan retained his UFC bantamweight championship with a decision victory over Merab Dvalishvili in the co-main event of UFC 333 on Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The five-round war closed out one of the most competitive trilogies in recent UFC history, with Yan now leading the series 2-1.

Dvalishvili came out like a man possessed, dominating the first two rounds with relentless wrestling and attempting a staggering 58 takedowns over the course of the fight, per CBS Sports. That number broke the UFC single-fight record, which Dvalishvili himself had previously set at 49 in their first meeting.

But Yan made the adjustments that champions make. Starting in the third round, the Russian began timing Dvalishvili's entries with sharp striking, hurting the challenger late and pulling away on the scorecards. By the championship rounds, it was Yan's fight to lose.

The performance earned both men Fight of the Night honors and $100,000 bonuses. Yan, a two-time bantamweight champion, had his two sons cageside in Abu Dhabi for the occasion.

The trilogy has been a saga. Dvalishvili won the rematch at UFC 323 in December on short notice while Yan was dealing with a back injury. This time, with a full camp, Yan proved the better fighter over 25 minutes. Dvalishvili, who attempted more takedowns than anyone in UFC history in a single fight, simply could not keep the champion down long enough to take his belt.