Petr Yan won the trilogy rubber match against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 333, taking a unanimous decision to retain his bantamweight title. This was Yan's second straight victory over Dvalishvili after dropping the first fight in their series. The co-main event was a gritty affair that saw Yan grind out the win with his wrestling and clinch work, keeping Dvalishvili uncomfortable throughout.
Yan controlled the pace and dictated where the fight took place. Dvalishvili came to compete but couldn't overcome Yan's superior fight IQ and ring generalship. The judges saw it clearly, awarding all three rounds to the champion. With this win, Yan closes out the trilogy emphatically, moving to 2-1 in the series and keeping the 135-pound belt around his waist. He's now positioned himself back in title contention conversations after what looked like a stalled career trajectory following his loss in the first meeting.