LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 23: UFC President and CEO Dana White reacts after a flyweight fight between Jeisla Chaves of Brazil and Sofia Montenegro of Argentina during Dana White’s Contender Series season nine, week seven at UFC APEX on September 23, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
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The final UFC PPV card on ESPN is stacked. On December 6 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Merab Dvalishvili will return to the Octagon to defend his UFC bantamweight title against Petr Yan in the main event of UFC 323.
UFC President Dana White made the announcement on social media on Monday, October 13.
The matchup serves as a critical moment for both men, with Dvalishvili seeking to cement his place as the most active champion of the modern era–and arguably the greatest men’s bantamweight of all time.
His pace, pressure, and wrestling-heavy attack have made him one of the most relentless fighters on the roster. Meanwhile, Yan’s tactical precision and experience in five-round wars make this one of the more anticipated rematches of the year.
In the co-main event, UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja will defend his title against Joshua Van. Also on the card, former two-division champion Henry Cejudo faces rising star Payton Talbot and former UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz faces rising 205-pound contender, Bogdan Guskov.
Here’s a breakdown of what we know about the UFC 323 card, per Tapology.
- (c) Merab Dvalishvili vs. Petr Yan — 135 lbs – UFC men’s bantamweight championship
- (c) Alexandre Pantoja vs. Joshua Van — 125 lbs – UFC men’s flyweight championship
- Maycee Barber vs. Karine Silva — 125 lbs
- Henry Cejudo vs. Payton Talbott — 135 lbs
- Jan Błachowicz vs. Bogdan Guskov — 205 lbs
- Makhmud Abdul-Malik vs. Antonio Trócoli — 185 lbs
Dvalishvili is looking to become the first fighter to successfully defend their title four times in a calendar. In January, Dvalishvili scored a unanimous decision win over Umar Nurmagomedov. In June, he submitted Sean O’Malley in their rematch. On October 4, Dvalishvili bested Cory Sandhagen via unanimous decision.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 11: (L-R) Merab Dvalishvili of Georgia punches Petr Yan of Russia in a bantamweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas on March 11, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
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The fight with Yan will also be a rematch as he defeated the former champion via unanimous decision back in March 2023.
Yan has rebounded from a three-fight losing streak with unanimous decision wins over Song Yadong (March 2024), Deiveson Figueiredo (Nov. 2024) and Marcus McGhee (July 202). Yan figures to provide the best test for Dvalishvili since the clash with Nurmagomedov.
Along with Dvalishvili, Pantoja has established himself as arguably the UFC’s most dominant champion. Since winning the title over Brandon Moreno in July 2023 at UFC 290, Pantoja has successfully defended his championship four times with wins over Brandon Royval (Dec. 2023), Steve Erceg (May 2024), Kai Asakura (Dec. 2024) and Kai Kara-France (June 2025).
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JUNE 28: Alexandre Pantoja of Brazil reacts to the end of the fight in the UFC flyweight championship bout during the UFC 317 event at T-Mobile Arena on June 28, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
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Van has been on a tear. He has won five fights in a row including a unanimous decision win over Royval in June 2025 at UFC 317.
The streak has given him the credibility to challenge for gold, and his striking output combined with fearless forward pressure makes him one of the most promising new contenders in any weight class
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JUNE 28: Joshua Van of Myanmar looks on during a flyweight bout at UFC 317 at T-Mobile Arena on June 28, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images)
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If Pantoja defeats Van, it is unclear where the Brazilian should go next. He has virtually cleaned out the flyweight division and there are few–if any remaining challenges. There has even been talk among fans about a potential move up to bantamweight, where fresh matchups could await. For now, though, his focus remains on remaining king of the 125-pounders.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianmazique/2025/10/13/ufc-announces-huge-ufc-323-double-championship-main-and-co-main-events/
