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UFC Fight Night will be at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, March 11 at 6 p.m. ET. There is a six-bout main card highlighted by a bantamweight fight between Petr Yan (16-4) and Merab Dvalishvili (15-4). Also notable on the main card is a Catchweight bout between Nikita Krylov (29-9) and Ryan Spann (21-7).
In the main event, Yan and Dvalishvili will match skills to see which of the two will get the next title shot in the Bantamweight division (currently held by Aljamain Sterling, who recently def. Yan). Yan is an inch taller than Dvalishvili but loses an inch in reach to the Georgian.
Dvalishvili, who comes into the fight as the underdog, has not lost a UFC match in nearly half a decade, while Yan has actually lost his last two consecutive fights (to Sterling and Sean O’Malley, respectively). With the winner likely headed for a Bantamweight title bout, each fighter has all the extra motivation in this one.
How to watch Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili
Date: Saturday, March 11
Fight time: Main card starts at 6 p.m. ET
Live stream: ESPN+
DraftKings Sportsbook Odds/Predictions
Yan: -250
Dvalishvili: +210
Splits: 70% of handle, 72% of bets on Yan (as of March 7, 2023).
There are many in the MMA community who believe Petr Yan has received the short end of the call in his past two fights, and could very well still be the Bantamweight champion with a UFC fight record of 18-2. Still, such is not the case as Yan is riding back-to-back losses, despite working impressively against both Aljamain Sterling and “Suga” Sean O’Malley. Initially, Yan appears to be the hungrier fighter, but considering how close his recent bouts have been, is he worth the juice at north of -240 on the moneyline? Perhaps Yan is a better play “To Win By Decision,” which shows a plus-money price of +110 at DraftKings Sportsbook.
When you glance at Merab Dvalishvili’s recent fight log, it is clear to see he has built considerable momentum. Dvalishvili has not lost a UFC fight since April 2018. With that in mind, the 32-year-old Georgian is worth a play at +210 to win outright. Even more precisely, Dvalishvili has won seven of his last eight fights via unanimous decision; At DraftKings Sportsbook, he is still priced at +300 “To Win By Decision” in the Method of Victory category.