Merab Dvalishvili released a public statement following his bantamweight title defeat at UFC 323, where he lost the championship to Petr Yan by unanimous decision.

Dvalishvili entered the event as the defending champion seeking to continue his run at the top of the division after a series of successful title defences earlier this year, but Yan reclaimed the belt with a five-round performance in the main event.

“Tonight wasn’t my night, but I will be back stronger than ever. Thank you everyone for your support,” said Dvalishvili, in a post to social media.

The loss brought an end to Dvalishvili’s championship reign, which had been built on a long unbeaten streak and multiple high-profile victories over top contenders in the bantamweight division.

The bout was a rematch of the first meeting between Dvalishvil and Yan from March 2023, in which the Georgian fighter defeated his Russian foe via clear cut unanimous decision.

Attention now turns to what comes next for the former champion, with a potential rematch or a return bout against another top-ranked opponent among the likely options as the division continues to take shape.

Dvalishvili entered UFC 323 carrying a lengthy winning run and had established himself as one of the most active champions on the UFC roster prior to the title defeat.