Dana White recently praised Merab Dvalishvili after announcing that he will headline UFC 323. The event is takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Dec. 6. The main event will feature a bantamweight title clash between Dvalishvili and former champion Petr Yan.
The title fight is a rematch of their 2023 encounter, where Dvalishvili won by unanimous decision. Since his loss to ‘The Machine,’ Yan has bounced back in impressive fashion, riding a three-fight winning streak.
UFC 323 will mark Dvalishvili’s fourth title defense of the year. This is a remarkable achievement, considering consistent improvement and activity as a fighter.
Dvalishvili has a chance to make history at the event. A win would make him the first fighter in UFC history to defend his title four times in a single year. His desire to remain active and fight multiple times a year has earned him White’s admiration.
“I love it,” White said during his post-event scrum following the latest episode of Contender Series. “It took me a minute to warm up to Merab [Dvalishvili]. I’m very warm now. I love that mentality. He wants to be the first guy to ever defend his title that many times in a year.”
He continued:
“If you look at what [Dvalihsvili’s] gone out and done, how he’s proven himself as a fighter and as a world champion, it’s impressive.”
Dana White Says Merab Dvalishvili Personally Requested UFC 323 Title Fight
Dvalishvili is true to his word and followed through on his desire for a quick turnaround defeating Cory Sandhagen. ‘The Machine’ asked the matchmakers to secure him a spot on the final pay-per-view event of the year.
During his UFC 323 announcement, White revealed that Dvalishvili personally requested the fight. He stated the reigning bantamweight champion expressed his strong desire to make history. That request was granted.
“On the Monday after Merab’s title defense at UFC 320, [he] came into the offices here and told us how important it was for him to break the record for the most title defenses in a year,” White said on his Instagram live. “Merab holds UFC records for the most takedowns ever, but a win would move him to second place for longest win streak ever.”
He added:
“[Dvalishvili vs. Yan] is a very fun fight. And, you gotta respect the hell out of Merab for wanting to break this [record]. I love this [expletive].”
UFC 323: Dvalishvili vs. Yan 2 Fight Card Announced
UFC 323: Dvalishvili vs. Yan 2 marks the final pay-per-view event under the UFC‘s current media rights deal with ESPN. The card already promises an exciting night, with several former champions competing.
In the co-main event, Alexander Pantoja defends his flyweight championship against Joshua Van. Like Dvalishvili, Pantoja aims to solidify his title reign and cement his legacy in the sport.
Also on the card, Payton Talbott faces former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo, who’s possibly competing in his final fight. Former flyweight champion Brandon Moreno returns to the octagon to face No. 5 ranked Tatsuro Taira.
Finally, former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz squares off against Bogdan Guskov. Blachowicz aims to snap his losing skid, while Guskov looks to surge up the rankings at the former champion’s expense.
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