Ex-bantamweight champion Petr Yan will face Merab Dvalishvili in a five-round main event fight scheduled for a UFC Fight Night card. In turn, the UFC betting Action will occur at The Theater in the Virgin Hotel in Las Vegas on March 11. It is the first time in history that a UFC card has been held at that venue. Consider that Yan returns to action following back-to-back losses in his most recent fights. He fell to current UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling. And then he dropped a razor-close split decision to Sean O’Malley this past October.
UFC Fight Night Yan vs. Dvalishvili – Main Card Odds
Date: Saturday, March 11, 2023, 6 p.m. ET
Location: The Theater at Virgin Hotels, Las Vegas, Nevada
UFC TV Coverage: ESPN+
UFC Fight Night Odds: #2 Petr Yan -205 vs. #3 Merab Dvalishvili +175, #8 Alexander Volkov +100 vs. #13 Alexander Romanov -120, Ricardo Ramos -275 vs. Austin Lingo +230, #14 Said Nurmagomedov -195 vs. Jonathan Martinez +165
Yan Seeks Career Resurgence
Now, on Saturday, the Russian-born Yan attempts to get back on track. He will face one of the fastest-rising contenders in the entire best sportsbook online division. Meanwhile, Dvalishvili has rattled off eight consecutive wins. Including his most recent victory over Jose Aldo. Also, he holds statement wins over Marlon Moraes, Cody Stamann, and John Dodson.
Saturday’s fight allows Dvalishvili to secure a future title shot potentially. Although he’s stated numerous times that he won’t face Sterling, his longtime friend and teammate.
Yan and Dvalishvili headline the first-ever UFC bets card at the Virgin Hotel in Las Vegas. In sum, the venue touts a capacity crowd of up to 4,600 people for a live concert.
Yan Believes He is Meant to Fight for Titles
Namely, Petr Yan isn’t in the UFC to do anything but win titles. Some fans still regard the former bantamweight champion as the greatest 135-pounder in the world. They explained away his recent rough patch as a product of simple misfortune. But losing to Sean O’Malley, an opponent he was supposed to dominate, isn’t misfortune.
It’s far too early to declare “No Mercy’s” recent run as the start of a decline. But it is concerning that he’s lost three of his last two fights. Michael Chandler and Conor McGregor are on that current run of form. In turn, both of them have become targets for online mockery due to their recent performances.
Yan, the former bantamweight titleholder, is in a must-win position against the surging Georgian
Yan Fights Changing Perceptions
Three years ago, the possibility of Petr Yan being on a three-fight losing streak was unthinkable. Accordingly, Yan was the promotion’s newly crowned bantamweight champion. Following a fifth-round TKO win over all-time great José Aldo. His subsequent bout, his first and only title defense, came against Aljamain Sterling.
At UFC 259, the no-nonsense Russian was dominant. At the time, he looked well on his way to recording his first successful title defense. However, “No Mercy” made a perplexing decision. He landed a knee on a grounded opponent when ‘Funk Master’ was on the mat. This led to the beginning of a rough patch. Hence, he lost the bout via disqualification.
Subsequently, Yan rebounded with a win against Cory Sandhagen. As a result, he took the interim title belt. Following that triumph was a disaster. Yan lost his next two bouts. First was a rematch against Aljamain Sterling. Second was a loss against Sean O’Malley.
Of great concern was that Yan was unsuccessful against top-ten bantamweights. He has now lost three of his last four bouts. A loss against Dvalishvili would mean four losses in his last five fights, kicking him out of the top five.
UFC Fight Night CashBet Free Picks
As was previously noted, Yan is not in good form. Dvalishvili is in better form and at a much better MMA betting price.
UFC Fight Night CashBet Bet
Merab Dvalishvili
