Dana White makes big statement on Petr Yan’s GOAT status after UFC 333 win over Merab Dvalishvili

UFC CEO Dana White has weighed in on whether Petr Yan deserves to be considered the greatest bantamweight fighter of all time following his impressive victory over Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 333. 

At UFC 333, Yan put his bantamweight title on the line against Dvalishvili in their trilogy bout, as in their previous meeting the Russian dethroned ‘The Machine' via decision at UFC 323. 

Dana White weighs in on Petr Yan’s claim to bantamweight GOAT status

Yan had difficulty reading Dvalishvili in the early rounds. The Georgian mixed takedown threats and landed shots; he was relentless in his takedown attempts, but the Russian was defending well. The first two rounds were clearly won by ‘The Machine '.

Yan bounced back from the third round on, landing great body shots that pushed Dvalishvili onto the back foot. The Russian kept the momentum with body shots and great combinations. The Georgian star did not back down despite visibly being hurt in the exchanges, but the reigning champion’s strikes were more accurate and damaging.

After five rounds of intense back-and-forth war, the fight went to the judges’ scorecards, and all three scored it 48-47 for Yan. With that, he successfully defended his 135-pound title. 

This victory has put him right in the conversation for the bantamweight greatest of all time, as he has defeated Dvalishvili, one of the best in the division, not once but twice. The Russian has a great resume, and reclaiming the belt and defending it has added more weight to the GOAT conversation in the division.

Following the event, White was asked at the UFC 333 post-fight press conference whether Yan’s latest performance was enough to establish him as the greatest bantamweight in MMA history. The UFC CEO’s response suggested that the Russian’s victory at UFC 333 has strengthened his case in the debate over the division’s greatest fighter.

“Yeah, it would be tough to say no. It would be very difficult to say no. Thank you,” White said. 

Check out Dana White's comments below:

Whether or not Yan is the GOAT remains an interesting topic of discussion among fans, but one thing is for sure; he is ready for any challenge from any contender in the division, and he has said so.

Petr Yan welcomes any challenger after UFC 333 win

Following his victory over Dvalishvili, Yan made it clear that he is not interested in choosing his next opponent. During his post-fight cage interview with Daniel Cormier, the bantamweight champion welcomed any challenger the UFC puts in front of him.

“Listen to me, brother: I’m the champion of this organization; I do not pick fights,” he told Daniel Cormier in the octagon interview. “This organization puts the next contender in front of me, and I’m ready to fight with any of them. Give me Song Yadong, give me King Kong! Give me anybody! Just make the weight and I will take you down!”

Check out Petr Yan’s comments below: