Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili is the best rivalry in bantamweight history

Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili was one of the highest level rivalries in UFC history, and for that reason, it's also the very best rivalry in the history of the bantamweight division. It might not have had the bad blood that Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber had, but it had something greater.

The greatness of Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili

In the UFC, rivalries often have a deeply personal element to them. That was very apparent in three of the promotion's biggest-ever rivalries, like Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor, Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier, and Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen. Despite the hatred that defined those aforementioned rivalries, they were also defined by a gulf in skill between the men involved. Nurmagomedov dominated McGregor at UFC 229, Jones beat Cormier twice at UFC 182 and UFC 214, even if the second result was overturned, and Silva also beat Sonnen twice at UFC 117 and UFC 148. As Cormier himself said about his own rivalry with Jones, can there really be a rivalry if it's one man winning every time?

In the bantamweight division, there have been three great rivalries. There's Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber, T.J. Dillashaw vs. Cody Garbrandt, and, of course, Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili. In terms of historic weight, nothing compares to the past animosity between Cruz and Faber, which eventually spilled over to an entire saga between Cruz and Team Alpha Male. The exact reason behind their feud remains unclear, but there are several stories and rumors attempting to explain it. Back in their WEC days, Cruz is said to have signed a poster for their then upcoming fight at WEC 26 by signing over Faber's face, as his own picture was not on the poster. This irritated 'The California Kid,' and the situation wasn't helped when Faber submitted Cruz in round one, with Cruz reacting poorly to the loss.

By the time they had crossed paths in the UFC, and Cruz was UFC bantamweight champion, he was dismissive of Faber, keeping their feud alive throughout two more fights, which he won, making it clear that 'The Dominator' was, by the end, the far better fighter. Then, there's Dillashaw and Garbrandt. The reason for their feud stemmed from Garbrandt, a fiercely loyal member of Team Alpha Male, regarding Dillashaw as a snake for leaving it in favor of a more specialized camp under his striking coach, Duane Ludwig. Soon enough, stories began to emerge about Garbrandt having knocked him out in training prior to Dillashaw's departure, and it all led to two title fights that ended in back-to-back finishes for Dillashaw. Garbrandt had nothing for him.

Yan and Dvalishvili, however, are different. They are two of the greatest bantamweights ever, and while there was some minor animosity, their rivalry was almost entirely due to competitiveness. Both men were hungry to prove they were better than the other. At UFC Fight Night 221, Dvalishvili got off to a strong start, overwhelming 'No Mercy' in a unanimous decision win that put him within touching distance of bantamweight gold. The loss was the last of three that Yan had suffered in what was the worst stretch of his career. However, rather than accept the verdict that many had given him, that he was damaged goods and would never win the title again, he went on a tear.

Yan authored a three-fight win streak in an astonishing return to form, but the champion was now Dvalishvili, a man that many had believed to be a horrible stylistic matchup. Dvalishvili is a fast starter who never stops, using his endless cardio and constant volume and takedowns to overload his opponent's decision-making process. On paper, it was the perfect counter to Yan, who takes his time making reads in round one, and is willing to give up the early rounds to build in the final ones. But how does one build against an avalanche that never stops? Well, despite being written off by everyone, Yan somehow figured it ouut.

At UFC 323, he faced Dvalishvili in a rematch. By then, 'The Machine' was on a lengthy win streak and regarded as nearly unstoppable. Only with a knockout could he be beaten, but not according to Yan, who surgically dismantled him, dealing tremendous damage to recapture his title. The MMA community was jaw-dropped, but he would need to do so again at UFC 333, because Dvalishvili deserved, at least, a rematch for how dominant he had been as champion. The trilogy bout proved to be highly competitive, with Dvalishvili trying to weaponize his pace against Yan, but as the fight progressed, 'No Mercy' only improved.

In the end, he won another unanimous decision to close that chapter of his career. It was a fight between two of the greatest bantamweights ever, for a championship belt, all to prove who the very best among them was. It didn't need personal drama or the heated buildup of a bitter feud, because it was just mixed martial arts in its purest form.