Petr Yan shook up the world on Saturday, the 6th of December.
Fight fans are used to three things being a certainty in life: death, taxes, and Merab Dvalishvili dominating opponents with his wrestling. But at the UFC 323 pay-per-view event — the last of its kind on ESPN before UFC begins its broadcast relationship with Paramount+ — Yan took the fight to Dvalishvili in a way the champion had not defended against for years.
And it was as successful as Yan’s wildest dreams as he wrested the world championship from Dvalishvili’s waist with an ease of which few could have possibly seen coming.
Joshua Van wins UFC belt after the champion, Alexandre Pantoja, suffered a broken arm after just 26 seconds.
Petr Yan’s Performance vs Merab Dvalishvili Was Punch Perfect
What makes Yan’s performance up there amongst the best we’ve seen in the modern era of MMA is that, at one point in the not-so-distant past, he had lost three fights in a row, and it was unclear, back then, if he’d ever be able to claw his way back to title contention. But, after three successive wins over Song Yadong, Deiveson Figueiredo, and Marcus McGhee, Yan quietly did just that to force a rematch against Dvalishvili, the No.3-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in all UFC.
And Yan did what Henry Cejudo, Umar Nurmagomedov, and Sean O’Malley failed to do, as they all succumbed to Dvalishvili’s endurance and unrelenting wrestling. Against the Russian, Dvalishvili was barely given a chance to succeed as Yan bettered him in striking exchanges, blocked his takedown attempts, and bloodied him up through five thrilling rounds at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas atop UFC 323.
From the off, Yan fought like a fighter possessed by Max Holloway, taking the strikes to Dvalishvili, and hitting him with kicks and hooks. While Dvalishvili tried to stamp his authority on the fight with wrestling, Yan held, dominated him with boxing, and kept denying him of any attempt to grab hold of him and take him down to the ground. Yan’s strike of the night arguably arrived in the third, when he whipped a kick at Dvalishvili that made Merab scream out in pain.
In the championship rounds, it was always clear Dvalishvili needed a finish to secure the win, but that finish never came, as Yan ground out the result, and won a comfortable decision with scores of 49-46 (twice) and 48-47.
“I’m very, very happy,” said Yan, after advancing his pro MMA record to 20 wins (7 KOs and 1 submission) against five defeats.
“I worked so hard. I prepared so hard for this moment. This is my life.”
Dvalishvili, meanwhile, accepted the L. “I lost today,” he said. “It was a bad game and congratulations to him, but I want a rematch. I want to run it back.”
Arsenal are in the market for a new forward in the summer transfer window, and one of their targets has now rejected a new contract worth three times his current salary.
It’s been a slow start to the summer transfer window for the Gunners, who are yet to confirm an official signing so far.
It’s no surprise that Arsenal aren’t panicking in the market, as they have already built a squad capable of winning the Premier League and reaching the Champions League final.
There’s plenty of time remaining in the window for the Gunners to bring in new additions, and there’s no doubt they’ll still look to strengthen Mikel Arteta’s squad.
Arsenal will be looking to ensure this doesn’t happen again when trying to sign young talents, so they’ll be hoping to get deals over the line quicker.
Arsenal have had a long-standing interest in Tyjon, labelled ‘eye-catching’, from Blackburn, and his rejection of a new contract could open the door for Arsenal to make a move.
Christian Horner made his first appearance in the F1 paddock since being sacked by Red Bull last year when he attended Sunday’s British Grand Prix.
It didn’t take Sky Sports’ Craig Slater long to track down the 52-year-old, with the journalist being keen to get answers about Horner’s potential future in the sport.
The veteran team principal was quick to try and play the relaxed spectator, mentioning he’s been to Silverstone every year since 1993. Interestingly, though, Horner was accompanied by F1 PR Guru Alice Hedworth, which suggests that there was likely a business element to his presence at the race.
Christian Horner Addresses Rumours of F1 Return at British Grand Prix
When he was asked about rumours that he could be tempted to invest in a struggling team or front an entirely new grid entry, Horner did not shut the noise down. Instead, he issued a bold statement of intent, detailing the exact baseline a team would need to get him back involved in the sport.
“For me, I would only look at doing the right thing, something that really had an opportunity to win at the end of the day”, Horner insisted.
That one line says a lot about Horner’s mindset about returning to the sport. He is seeking a partnership that can take the fight directly to his former employers, with whom he spent 20 years before being shown the door last July.
Christian Horner’s Options For F1 Return Explored
The most tangible rumour relating to Horner involves a consortium looking to invest in Alpine. The French Renault-backed team is currently floundering in mid-table. With its infrastructure, though, and high investment backing from firm Otro Capital, they will be looking to benefit from Horner’s track record of leading an elite team.
Then there is Aston Martin, for whom Horner stated that it feels painful for him to watch struggling. With a state-of-the-art wind tunnel and upcoming factory in the Honda engine deal, the pieces of a winning puzzle are there if the right mastermind pulls them together.
The most ambitious route back to the sport for Horner would be for him to get involved with a brand-new team. Reports suggest that a 12th team could soon be added to the grid, backed by Chinese automotive giant BYD. Fronting a total newcomer would give Horner a completely new clean slate to build a powerhouse from the ground up, entirely on his own terms.
“There is so much speculation, I think I have been linked with every team on the grid so far today. I am just here to enjoy the race.” Horner reasoned as he tried to deflect from Slater’s questioning.
Horner claims he is in no rush, but walking the Silverstone paddock is the ultimate power move. He has officially signalled to all potential suitors that he is interested in making a deal, but only if they can meet his own ambitions.
Rangers have been handed an avenue to complete a deal for Lewis Ferguson after it emerged that Bologna want to sign an Ibrox star, according to the Daily Record.
The Light Blues have had a busy summer window already after finishing third in the Scottish Premiership, with Derek McInnes replacing Danny Rohl as manager and all of Lawrence Shankland, Ben Godfrey, Ivor Pandur, Ross McCrorie, and Dan Neil arriving as part of the squad for next season.
But the club are still keen to make even more additions before the start of the new campaign, with Scotland star Ferguson understood to be a top target. Now, they’ve been made aware of a potential path to get a deal done.
Rangers Star Connor Barron Eyed by Bologna
According to the Daily Record, Serie A giants are aware of interest in Ferguson and have once again added Rangers star Connor Barron to their wishlist of summer transfers.
Barron, who has been described as ‘brilliant’, joined Rangers on a free transfer in 2024, and had been targeted by the Italian outfit then, but opted to move to Ibrox instead. Bologna also tried to sign him last summer, but their enquiry was rejected by club chiefs in Glasgow.
Now they are looking at trying to bring him in once again, and Rangers could be open to a sale if it means they can sign the Bologna captain Ferguson as a result.
