News Summary
UFC CEO Dana White has revealed the card for UFC 323, featuring a bantamweight title rematch between Merab Dvalishvili and Petr Yan. The co-main event will showcase flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja defending his title against Joshua Van. Additional matchups include Henry Cejudo facing Payton Talbott and Jan Błachowicz competing against Bogdan Guskov. This event promises to have significant title implications as fighters look to solidify their status within the UFC.
Las Vegas—UFC CEO Dana White has announced the highly anticipated matchups for UFC 323, set to take place on December 6, 2025, at the T-Mobile Arena. This event will feature a historic bantamweight title rematch between reigning champion Merab Dvalishvili and former champion Petr Yan, alongside a co-main event with flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja defending his title against challenger Joshua Van.
The main event will showcase Dvalishvili as he attempts to defend his bantamweight title for the fourth time this year, a remarkable achievement that would break the record for the most title defenses in a single calendar year. Dvalishvili successfully defended his title in his last outing at UFC 320, where he secured a unanimous decision victory over Cory Sandhagen. In 2025, Dvalishvili has solidified his status as champion with victories over top contenders, including Umar Nurmagomedov and Sean O’Malley, in addition to his previous triumph against Sandhagen.
This rematch against Yan comes on the heels of Dvalishvili’s dominant previous encounter with Yan in 2023, where he earned a unanimous decision victory characterized by a significant strike advantage of 147 to 75 and successfully executing 11 takedowns. Yan, on the other hand, has rebounded strongly from his previous loss to Dvalishvili, winning three consecutive fights, with his latest victory being a decision win over Marcus McGhee.
The co-main event will see Pantoja defending his flyweight title against Van. Pantoja has a strong title defense track record, with four successful defenses since capturing the title from Brandon Moreno in December 2023. His most recent defense at UFC 317 resulted in a submission victory against Kai Kara-France, marking his eighth consecutive win. Van, on a five-fight winning streak, solidified his title shot by defeating Brandon Royval in a recent matchup.
UFC 323 will also feature a compelling matchup between former two-division champion Henry Cejudo and rising fighter Payton Talbott. Cejudo, an Olympic gold medalist, has made a return to the Octagon following his retirement in 2023, although he has faced a string of decision losses in his outings. Talbott, who impressed in Dana White’s Contender Series, will be looking to make a name for himself following a recent decision victory over Felipe Lima.
In the light heavyweight division, former champion Jan Błachowicz will face burgeoning contender Bogdan Guskov. Błachowicz, who has not secured a win since May 2022, will be eager to end his losing streak, while Guskov is coming off four consecutive finishes and aims to continue his rise in the ranks.
UFC 323 is shaping up to be a significant highlight in the UFC calendar, as this event will showcase multiple key matchups that could have substantial title implications. With renowned fighters headlining the card, fans can anticipate an exciting showdown as the year comes to a close.
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Additional Resources
- UFC: Dana White Announces UFC 323 Fights
- Wikipedia: Mixed Martial Arts
- ESPN: Merab Dvalishvili to Defend Title Again
- Google Search: UFC 323
- Sports Illustrated: Merab Dvalishvili’s Historic Win
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Mixed Martial Arts
- MiddleEasy: Dvalishvili vs Yan 2 Headlines UFC 323
- Google News: UFC 323
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