Russian fighter Petr Yan in the main event of the UFC 323 tournament in the USA impressed everyone so much in his confrontation with Merab Dvalishvili that discussions of this fight will not stop for a very long time. Journalists, fans, and other fighters admire the actions of the Russian, who achieved an outstanding result and, which is very pleasant, did it with the flag of his country.

“A performance worthy of emulation”

Journalist of the popular Sherdog portal Brian Knapp did not hesitate to compliment Ian, from whom, of course, much was expected, but still his performance became something of a revelation for experts.

— Petr Yan, at his best, surpassed the man considered by some to be the greatest 135-pound mixed martial arts fighter of all time. Powerful jabs, brutal body shots and excellent takedown defense earned the Russian a five-round unanimous decision over Merab Dvalishvili to reclaim the title in what was widely considered a performance to emulate, Knapp wrote.

Journalist of the American holding ESPN Brett Okamoto discussed how history could have turned out if not for the disqualification of the Russian fighter in 2021 for a knee strike in a confrontation with Aljamain Sterling.

“In the men’s bantamweight division, it’s hard to look at Yan holding the title and not think that things might have turned out differently if not for the moment when he lost the belt due to disqualification in 2021.

I’m not trying to justify anyone or create a false story, but Ian fell victim to circumstances. To be fair, he did some of the damage to himself by using an illegal knee strike. But if he hadn’t used that swing and lost the momentum he had in 2021, who’s to say he wouldn’t have had a historic run. His fight with O’Malley would have lasted five rounds instead of three. He wouldn’t have had to face Sterling in a rematch that probably wouldn’t have been easy to prepare for. And he would have fought Dvalishvili for the first time in a completely different situation,” he wrote.

Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili / Photo: © Chris Unger / Contributor / UFC / Gettyimages.ru

“Yan completed the Dvalishvili era”

Colleagues Ian and Dvalishvili were very emotional about what happened that evening in Las Vegas. Most agreed that Ian’s perfect technique was one of the main reasons for this sensational performance.

“It was probably the best fight I’ve ever seen.” Absolutely incredible pace, technique and courage. The third fight is sure to be epic! — said ex-fighter and UFC record holder Matt Brown.

“Ian is so good in all components that we can talk about his impeccable technique,” ​​said American MMA fighter Belal Muhammad.

— What can I say to Merab Dvalishvili? There is a feeling that it is better for you to leave now while you still can, because Petr Yan revealed all your weaknesses today. We, in turn, studied them very carefully,” said Brazilian fighter Vinicius Oliveira.

– DC and Joe Rogan claim the fight was close. It looks like we were watching two different fights! Ian gave a real master class! – said American middleweight fighter Derek Brunson.

– Incredible. Merab is one of the toughest fighters I have ever seen. Today Peter came out and ended his era in a fantastic way, showing a fight of the highest level. These blows to the body, to the head, the wrestling – it all looked incredible,” UFC head Dana White said at a press conference after the UFC 323 tournament.

Petr Yan / Photo: © Chris Unger / Contributor / UFC / Gettyimages.ru

“Merab’s face turned into a hamburger”

Fans traditionally showed the most emotional reaction to the fight. Many noted the high level of the fight, but the vast majority of fans emphasized that the Russian’s victory was flawless and unconditional.

— Master class from Ian. It was the battle of the year,” noted HeatCulture.

“Merab’s face turned into a hamburger,” wrote johnny.

– An incredible result. Ian is just a real monster,” said Slots Mansion.

“One of the greatest fights of all time,” said Amough KK.

“It wasn’t a battle, it was a war in which Peter Yan reminded everyone that he was made of a different cloth. Absolutely crazy performance on his part,” said ifluitee.

— And someone else compared Merab with Khabib. Ridiculous,” said Truth Hurts.

“Ian didn’t just win. He sent a message to everyone that this throne has a new owner,” wrote fity.eth.

“Ian showed all his skills and how prepared he is in all aspects – cardio, boxing, footwork, defense. It was world class,” concluded Chosen One.