It’s a busy and exciting time for lovers of combat sports at Gamblr. December presents a mouth-watering schedule, including Jake Paul’s fascinating showdown with Anthony Joshua. In the world of Mixed Martial Arts, the Ultimate Fighting Championship brings UFC 323.
The T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, provides the backdrop for UFC 323, with Merab Dvalishvili vs Petr Yan II. The pair renew rivalries in the bantamweight division, and it’s a rematch that has kept fans guessing in the build-up. Which warrior will come out on top, ending the year on a high and setting up a huge 2026?
You can make predictions and place bets on the main event and best of the undercard at UFC 323 now. Gamblr offers pre-fight and live betting markets, eye-catching odds, generous specials, and unique markets. Who wins? Gamblr’s sports betting writer Frank Monkhouse provides his UFC 323 preview and predictions.
Merab Dvalishvili vs Petr Yan II Gamblr betting odds
In this section of our UFC 323 preview, we highlight the odds available in the most popular Dvalishvili vs Yan II betting markets.
Fight winner
- Dvalishvili win @ 1.2
- Yan win @ 4.33
Method of victory
- Dvalishvili by KO/TKO @ 10
- Dvalishvili by submission @ 13
- Dvalishvili on points @ 1.33
- Yan by KO/TKO @ 8
- Yan by submission @ 20
- Yan on points @ 6.66
Total rounds
- Over 3.5 rounds @ 1.13
- Under 3.5 rounds @ 5
Merab Dvalishvili vs Petr Yan II stats
Here are some useful Merab Dvalishvili vs Petr Yan II stats that may help you find a winner and make a profit when betting on the main event at Gamblr.
- Dvalishvili aims to become the first UFC champion to defend his title four times in the same calendar year.
- Dvalishvili is the current champion and won the first meeting with Yan by a decision.
- Yan brings a professional MMA record of 19 wins against five defeats.
- Yan has claimed 11 of his victories by decision.
- The UFC bantamweight championship is on the line here.
Dvalishvili aiming to set a new record
Merab Dvalishvili is the current UFC bantamweight champion and one of the most active fighters on the professional MMA circuit. He’s aiming to break a record and become the first fighter in UFC history to successfully defend his title four times in a year. That would be quite an achievement, but nothing less than the New York-based fighter deserves.
Dvalishvili arrives in Las Vegas with a professional MMA record of 21 wins and four defeats. He has beaten 16 of his previous opponents, including Yan, on points, with three knockouts and a couple of submissions. Merab has three points losses, and one by submission, meaning he has never been knocked out. That’s unlikely to change this weekend.
The most important and impressive thing to know about Dvalishvili is that he’s unbeaten since April 2018. That’s a run of 14 fights. In 2025, the champion has already scalped Umar Nurmagomedov, Sean O’Malley, and Cory Sandhagen. During that run of three defences, he won two on points, scoring one submission.
Yan is out for revenge
Petr Yan is the former UFC champion who desperately wants his belt back. He’s also desperate to even the scores against Dvalishvili, paving the way for a money-spinning trilogy in 2026. A victory for Yan would see the title change hands and blow the division wide open. Does he have what it takes to score an upset before a sold-out arena and global TV crowd?
Former champ Yan’s record suggests he has a better chance than his pre-fight betting odds suggest. He has 19 wins against five defeats, with 11 by decision, seven by knockout, and one by submission. Yan is also unbeaten in three, reeling off a trio of impressive wins in Florida, China, and Abu Dhabi to catapult himself back into title contention.
Dvalishvili inflicted Yan’s last defeat. Fight fans will be interested to see just how much he learned from that loss, and what he’ll do differently in the rematch. Yan has recently defeated Song Yadong by decision on UFC 299, Deiveson Figueiredo on points in Macau and, most recently, Marcus McGhee by unanimous decision in the UAE.
Merab Dvalishvili vs Petr Yan II predictions
Who wins on Saturday? Yan deserves credit for his recent form and fighting his way back into contention. He’s a solid fighter and will arrive fresher than a champion who has already endured a tough year. But I expect the champion to win again and set a record that will likely stand untouched for many years. It’ll be quite some time before we see a fighter defend a UFC belt five times in a year. That shows just how special it’ll be if Dvalishvili does as expected and lands four on the bounce.
Having picked the champion for another confident win, we set out in search of betting value. Calling the method of victory gives us an opportunity to shoot for a higher price and a greater return. I’m more than happy to stick with the stats and trends, backing the current belt holder to beat Yan on the judges’ scorecards for the second time.
As well as already out-pointing Yan, Dvalishvili has since won four times on the scorecards from five outings. He’s a technical fighter who will use his fitness and experience to break Yan down throughout the fight. The bout won’t be one for lovers of a quick KO. Instead, it’ll be a great advert for MMA. Dvalishvili will do what he does best: force takedowns, work the clinch, and use his strength to defeat Yan.
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