Yan vs Dvalishvili poster
UFC FIGHT NIGHT: YAN VS DVALISHVILI Odds, Prediction and Fight Preview
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to its roots this weekend with a superb Fight Night card headlined by a clash of contenders in the bantamweight division at The Theater at Virgin Hotels.
While this is the first time the venue has been used in its present incarnation, it has been used by the UFC eight times in the past as The Joint, when it was a part of the Hard Rock Hotel. The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is back after a rebranding and more than a decade away, and it’s delivering a fight card that’s expected to set the bar for future events at The Theater.
In the main event of Saturday’s card, former bantamweight champion Petr Yan faces up against rising challenger Merab Dvalishvili.
Yan has lost his last two fights, both by split decision, to Aljamain Sterling, the current champion, and Sean O’Malley, a former champion. Although he has won only once in his last four starts, the well-rounded Russian still stands out as one of the best in his ultra-competitive division; nevertheless, he will need to turn things around soon if he wants to keep that status.
Dvalishvili has won eight in a row by overwhelming his opponents with volume and speed in his wrestling. The tireless Georgian has racked up 46 takedowns during his current run of success, including double-digit totals twice (once against Jose Aldo and once against Anthony Pettis). The combat itself is intriguing, but there are some more layers of mystery.
Odds: Petr Yan is the favorite
Our Prediction: While Petr Yan is the favorite to win the bout, we believe Merab’s wrestling will prove too much for him. Additionally, the two fight losing streak and Merab’s momentum will both play a big factor in the fight. We expect Merab to etch out a close decision victory.
In a wide open heavyweight class, the matchup between Alexander Volkov and Alexandr Romanov marks a clear clash of styles in the co-main event. With a first-round knockout victory over Jairzinho Rozenstruik in June, Volkov enters off one of the best performances of his UFC career, while Romanov returns to Las Vegas off his first career defeat, suffered at the hands of Marcin Tybura.
Due to illness on the day of the last UFC Vegas, Nikita Krylov was unable to compete, and this rematch with Ryan Spann was the outcome. The bout was scheduled to headline UFC APEX on February 25, however that event was cancelled. When they face each other this weekend, it will be fascinating to observe who has been affected by the postponement more. A month has passed, but both fighters are still riding two-fight winning streaks into the bout, and they still both want to make significant strides in the light heavyweight class.
On Saturday night, featherweights Ricardo Ramos and Austin Lingo will face off in a main card bout that will have fans on the edge of their seats. Lingo returns to the ring for the first time since the summer of ’21, riding a two-fight winning streak and a 9-1 record into this weekend’s bout against Ramos, who is making his first appearance since his stunning spinning back elbow finish of Danny Chavez last summer.
Both individuals have an attacking mindset and are willing to take a risk in pursuit of a goal, thus it would not be surprising if this one resulted in a bonus for one or both of them.
Said Nurmagomedov and Jonathan Martinez meet in a clash of surging fighters trying to achieve a fifth straight win, making their bout one of the most intriguing bantamweight fights on the evening. Martinez knocked out veteran Cub Swanson with leg kicks in October, and Nurmagomedov won his last fight with a ninja choke after being outworked by Saidyokub Kakhramonov.
Six of their last seven bouts have taken place inside the Octagon, and the winner should be able to maintain their standing in the rankings after the dust settles and the rankings are reset early next week.
| 3/11 | Merab Dvalishvili | +197 |
| Petr Yan | -255 | |
| 3/11 | Alexandr Romanov | -155 |
| Alexander Volkov | +124 | |
| 3/11 | Austin Lingo | +270 |
| Ricardo Ramos | -365 | |
| 3/11 | Jonathan Martinez | +194 |
| Said Nurmagomedov | -250 | |
| 3/11 | Anton Turkalj | -115 |
| Vitor Petrino | -115 | |
| 3/11 | Karl Williams | -220 |
| Lukasz Brzeski | +172 | |
| 3/11 | Guido Cannetti | +604 |
| Mario Bautista | -1050 | |
| 3/11 | Raphael Assuncao | +105 |
| Davey Grant | -135 | |
| 3/11 | Ariane Lipski | +270 |
| J J Aldrich | -365 | |
| 3/11 | Tony Gravely | +115 |
| Victor Henry | -145 | |
| 3/11 | Bruno Silva | -200 |
| Tyson Nam | +158 | |
| 3/11 | Josh Fremd | +154 |
| Sedriques Dumas | -195 | |
| 3/11 | Ryan Spann | +139 |
| Nikita Krylov | -175 |
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