Robert Whittaker Calls Petr Yan a ‘Cold-Hearted Killer’ After UFC 333 Grind With Merab Dvalishvili
Robert Whittaker broke down the tape to show exactly how Petr Yan used elite composure and defense to weather Merab Dvalishvili's early pressure.
Petr Yan (21-5) retained the UFC bantamweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Merab Dvalishvili (21-6) in the UFC 333 co-main event. All three judges scored the bout 48-47, with “The Machine” winning rounds one and two on every card before Yan rallied to sweep rounds three through five, securing a 2-1 victory in their historic trilogy.
Dvalishvili thoroughly dominated their first meeting in March 2023 with a 50-45 sweep across the board. Meanwhile, Yan claimed the UFC 323 rematch in December 2025 with scores of 49-46, 49-46, and 48-47. This third encounter proved to be the closest on the scorecards.
Days after the event, a major part of the MMA community remains buried in discussion over who Yan will face next between Sean O'Malley and Song Yadong. Meanwhile, UFC veteran Robert Whittaker has broken down the tape to explain exactly how Yan successfully weathered the challenger's relentless early pressure.
Rob Whittaker Explains how Petr Yan Survived Dvalishvili's Pressure
Whittaker broke the fight down on episode 86 of the MMArcade Podcast. He focused heavily on how Yan stayed composed after losing the first two rounds. Dvalishvili landed four takedowns in round two but was completely shut out after that. Whittaker noted that Yan stays steady when a fight turns into a grueling grind, emphasizing that the championship rounds are where he does his absolute best work.
"Yan stays so balanced," Whittaker said. "He keeps his cool, staying levelheaded, rallying in the 3, 4, 5… he lives there."
Whittaker also described how difficult it is to recover when an opponent constantly stacks takedowns and strikes, effectively overloading the nervous system. He commended Yan for refusing to unravel under that immense early pressure.
"Yan just keeps it cool… He is a cold-hearted killer in there… such surgical precision and like a commando mindset," Whittaker noted.
Whittaker then ranked Yan's technical craftsmanship above the rest of the bantamweight division: "In terms of pure martial art, Petr Yan is better than the best of them out there… he is poetry to watch… every fighter's fighter."
Before the fight, picking a winner was tough because of their long history and strong runs in the UFC. However, Yan proved he deserved to keep the belt, even though Dvalishvili labeled himself a much better fighter.
Round-by-Round Data Backs Whittaker's Read on Yan's Late Surge
The official numbers back up Whittaker’s view. All three judges -- Darryl Ransom, David Lethaby, and Vito Paolillo -- scored the fight the same way. They gave Dvalishvili the first two rounds and Yan the last three. Yan looked sharpest in the fifth round, where he landed 52 out of 88 significant strikes.
Over the 25-minute fight, Dvalishvili out-landed Yan 131 to 128 in significant strikes. However, Dvalishvili had to throw 363 total strikes to get those numbers, compared to Yan's 228. This means Yan fought with much better efficiency. Yan's takedown defense won him the fight.
This win came after a long break for Yan. He needed lower-back surgery after beating Dvalishvili at UFC 323, which pushed this third fight back by about 10 months. Dvalishvili came into the night holding the UFC record for the most career takedowns, but he now has two straight losses to Yan. Both men went home with Fight of the Night bonuses.
