*Merab Dvalishvili stuns Umar Nurmagomedov with a stiff left hook. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

The UFC returns to the T-Mobile Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, with a fantastic pay-per-view card. The final numbered card of 2025 has been stacked from top to bottom with exciting scrappers, excellent matchups, and ranked contenders all looking to earn a performance bonus this Saturday. In the co-main event, we’ll see red-hot volume striker Joshua Van challenge dominant Flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja for gold. In the main event, we get a long-awaited rematch between the always-dangerous Petr Yan and the marauding Bantamweight champion, Merab Dvalishvili. First, we’ll take a look at a select few preliminary bouts, then break down the full main card.

Prelims

Terrance McKinney vs. Chris Duncan

*Terrance McKinney blasts Mike Breeden with a left hand. Credit: Essentially Sports.*

Lightweight Bout

Terrance McKinney: 17-7-0, 8 KO/TKO, 9 Sub.

Chris Duncan: 14-2-0, 7 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

McKinney has won four of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Farés Ziam (17-4-0), Matt Frevola (11-6-1), and Mike Breeden (11-6-0). He’s a wild scrapper who comes out guns blazing, always hunting for a quick finish. He’s always coming forward, pressuring his opponent and firing every shot with knockout intentions. McKinney is just as dangerous on the mat and is highly aggressive in top position, constantly looking to posture up or secure a submission. Training at Fusion X-Cel, he has excellent chokes and can find them with blinding speed, regularly using them to defend takedowns or immediately getting ahold of his opponent's neck when the fight goes to the ground. He has never been to a decision in his professional career, reaching the third round only once in 24 fights. McKinney has already put his name in the UFC Lightweight record books, holding the records for the fastest finish and knockout (0:07) and the shortest average fight time (2:25).

*Chris Duncan attempts to secure a guillotine choke on Jordan Vucenic. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Duncan has won four of his last five bouts, holding UFC victories over Mateusz Rębecki (20-4-0), Bolaji Oki (10-3-0), and Omar Morales (11-4-0). He’s an exciting brawler with a solid wrestling game and dangerous power in his hands. He’s always coming forward and throwing everything with power, constantly unloading long, straight punches and powerful kicks. Duncan has great footwork and distance management and will regularly batter his opponents with step-in elbows and knees when they enter his striking range. Training at American Top Team, he’s averaging over three takedowns landed per fifteen minutes and has heavy top and clinch control. He’s always dangerous on the ground, especially in top position, but has outstanding submissions and can find them off his back. Duncan is exceptionally durable and heats up as the fight continues, having earned half of his finishes in the second or third round.

#13 Grant Dawson vs. Manuel Torres

*Grant Dawson unloads vicious ground and pound onto Rafa Garcia. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Lightweight Bout

Grant Dawson: 23-2-1, 5 KO/TKO, 13 Sub.

Manuel Torres: 16-3-0, 8 KO/TKO, 7 Sub.

Dawson has won four of his last five outings and has UFC victories over Jared Gordon (21-8-0), Rafa Garcia (18-4-0), and Diego Ferreira (19-7-0). He is a relentless grappler with a lethal submission game and smothering wrestling skills. In his last five appearances, he’s averaged over ten and a half minutes of control time per fight and is very tough to escape from on the mat. Training at American Top Team, Dawson has fantastic takedowns and is an excellent chain wrestler, often stringing together takedown attempts before securing top position. He’s highly efficient and active on top, constantly improving position, posturing up, or looking for submission openings. He’s a technical striker on the feet but willing to engage, keeping his hands high and his punches straight and tight. Dawson has the highest top position percentage in UFC Lightweight history (62.3%) and has successfully taken down twelve of his thirteen UFC opponents.

*Manuel Torres stuns Drew Dober with a heavy right hand. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Torres has won four of his last five fights, with UFC victories coming over Drew Dober (28-15-0), Nikolas Motta (15-6-0), and Chris Duncan (14-2-0). He’s an explosive striker with one-shot knockout power. He throws everything with knockout intent and is always coming forward, pressuring his opponent. Training at Alliance Jiu-Jitsu, Torres is always willing to take a shot to land one and will use his offense as his defense, rarely looking to cover up and instead trying to overwhelm his opponent rather than avoid punches. He has outstanding takedowns in the clinch and will immediately try to get a hold of his opponent’s neck if the fight hits the mat. He favors power to volume and will throw every shot with knockout intentions, often with reckless abandon. Torres has only been to a single decision in his pro career, with eighteen of his fights ending in the first round, and has earned a Performance of the Night bonus in all of his UFC wins.

Main Card

#5 Jan Błachowicz vs. #11 Bogdan Guskov

*Jan Błachowicz lands a stinging left hook on Alex Pereira. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Light Heavyweight Bout

Jan Błachowicz: 29-11-1, 9 KO/TKO, 9 Sub.

Bogdan Guskov: 18-3-0, 15 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Błachowicz has won one of his last five bouts with one draw and has wins over #6 ranked Middleweight Israel Adesanya (24-5-0), #10 ranked Light Heavyweight Aleksandar Rakić (14-6-0), and #13 ranked Light Heavyweight Nikita Krylov (30-11-0). He is an excellent kickboxer with serious power in his hands and kicks. He has great footwork and does an excellent job of stalking his opponents and cutting off the cage, always letting his hands go when he enters the pocket. Training with Berkut WCA Fight Team, Błachowicz has one-punch knockout power and does a great job of varying his shots, attacking the head and body evenly. He’s averaging just over one takedown landed per fight and is a capable grappler, holding a black belt in BJJ and excellent wrestling skills. Błachowicz has great cardio and has gone five rounds multiple times in the UFC, making him constantly dangerous.

*Bogdan Guskov batters Billy Elekana with punches against the cage. Credit: MMA Junkie.*

Guskov has won four of his last five outings, holding UFC victories over #13 ranked Light Heavyweight Nikita Krylov (30-11-0), Billy Elekana (9-2-0), and Ryan Spann (23-11-0). He’s a marauding striker who’s always looking for a knockout. He’s always coming forward and pressuring his opponent, throwing every shot with accuracy and knockout intentions. Training at GOR MMA, Guskov tends to fight with his hands low, remaining unpredictable before bursting into the pocket to unload combinations. He primarily uses his hands to do damage and varies his shots well, regularly landing brutal body shots. He has secured 13 first-round finishes and rarely sees the judges’ scorecards, going to just a single decision in his professional career. Guskov is very durable and willing to brawl, but has good head movement and moves in and out of the pocket very efficiently.

#10 Henry Cejudo vs. Payton Talbott

*Henry Cejudo exchanges blows in the pocket with Merab Dvalishvili. Credit: LA Times.*

Bantamweight Bout

Henry Cejudo: 16-5-0, 8 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Payton Talbott: 10-1-0, 7 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Cejudo has won two of his last five fights and has UFC victories over former Bantamweight champions TJ Dillashaw (18-5-0) and Dominick Cruz (24-4-0) and former Flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson (25-4-1). One of the most accomplished athletes in MMA, he’s a former UFC double champion (FLW & BW) and former Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling. Unsurprisingly, he’s an excellent grappler, averaging about two takedowns landed per fifteen minutes and possessing smothering top control. Training at Fight Ready, Cejudo has fantastic takedowns and scrambles, seemingly always finding a way to top position. He uses a karate-like style on the feet, holding a wide stance, constantly moving, and mixing kicks into combinations. All his attacks are lightning-fast, often using his striking to get into the pocket and grapple. Cejudo has excellent takedown defense, having defended 76% of takedowns attempted on him in the UFC, and is very fluid on the ground and in the clinch.

*Payton Talbott tags Felipe Lima with a stinging left hand. Credit: Zuffa LLC.*

Talbott has won four of his last five bouts, with UFC victories coming over Felipe Lima (14-2-0), Yanis Ghemmouri (13-4-0), and Cameron Saaiman (9-3-0). He is an elusive, slick striker with serious punching power. He’s a lengthy fighter for the division and uses it well, constantly firing long punches and kicks and keeping his opponent on the end of his strikes. Talbott has outstanding footwork and distance management, always cutting off his opponent and controlling the center of the cage. He fights behind his jab and remains technical throughout, keeping his shots straight and sharp without getting sloppy or overextending himself. Training at the Reno Academy of Combat, he won’t usually pursue takedowns but is dangerous in top position and will immediately look to posture up and land heavy ground and pound. Talbott, although young in his UFC career, has already earned two Performance of the Night bonuses and the third fastest knockout in Bantamweight history (0:19).

#2 Brandon Moreno vs. #5 Tatsuro Taira

*Brandon Moreno clips Steve Erceg with a stiff left hook. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Flyweight Bout

Brandon Moreno: 23-8-2, 5 KO/TKO, 11 Sub.

Tatsuro Taira: 17-1-0, 5 KO/TKO, 8 Sub.

Moreno has won three of his last five outings and has UFC victories over #4 ranked Flyweight Amir Albazi (17-2-0), #6 ranked Bantamweight Deiveson Figueiredo (25-5-1), and #10 ranked Flyweight Steve Erceg (13-4-0). He’s an exceptionally well-rounded fighter with fantastic boxing and outstanding grappling. He has a sharp jab and always fights behind it, using it to set up devastating combinations and batter his opponent when they enter striking range. Moreno is willing to throw down in the pocket but always remains composed and accurate, throwing every shot with intent and purpose. He’s taken down four of his last five opponents and has excellent takedowns and control in top position. He has a dangerous arsenal of submissions and can produce quick finishes on the mat. Moreno has fought for gold in six of his last nine fights and has accumulated the most total fight time in UFC Flyweight history (5:08:28).

*Tatsuro Taira looks to secure a rear naked choke on Hyun-Sung Park. Credit: Zuffa LLC.*

Taira has won four of his last five fights, holding UFC victories over #11 ranked Flyweight Alex Perez (25-10-0), Édgar Cháirez (12-6-0), and Jesús Aguilar (12-3-0). A dangerous grappler with impressive power, he’s constantly looking to take the fight to the mat and secure a finish. He’s technical and composed on his feet, fighting behind his jab and constantly firing long, straight punches. He has fantastic clinch striking, particularly his knees, and has excellent distance management, regularly catching his opponents with heavy shots as they enter the pocket. Training at The Blackbelt Japan, he has outstanding takedowns and scrambles, almost always ending grappling exchanges in top position. He has smothering top control and is very active on top, always pursuing a submission while landing heavy ground and pound throughout. Taira has earned two post-fight bonuses in his last three outings and always leaves everything inside the cage.

(C) Alexandre Pantoja vs. #1 Joshua Van

*Alexandre Pantoja lands a lunging left hand on Kai Kara-France. Credit: Bleacher Report.*

Flyweight Title Bout

Alexandre Pantoja: 30-5-0, 8 KO/TKO, 12 Sub.

Joshua Van: 15-2-0, 7 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Pantoja is on an eight-fight win streak and has UFC victories over #2 ranked Flyweight Brandon Moreno (23-8-2), #3 ranked Flyweight Brandon Royval (17-8-0), and #6 ranked Flyweight Manel Kape (21-7-0). He’s a fast starter and dangerous everywhere, with serious power in his hands and outstanding grappling skills. He starts every round guns blazing, pressuring his opponent and unloading quick, heavy combinations. Pantoja has powerful kicks and will regularly mix them into his punch combinations, constantly battering his opponent’s legs, body, and head. Training at American Top Team, he has outstanding takedowns, typically landing them quickly before securing a dominant position on the mat. He is extremely tough to get away from on the ground, using smothering top control to wear down his opponents while constantly looking for submissions. Pantoja has firmly established himself as one of the greatest Flyweights of all time and holds various UFC Flyweight records, including the most wins (14), most finishes (8), and most submission wins (6).

*Joshua Van blasts Brandon Royval with a powerful left hand. Credit: MMA Junkie.*

Van is on a five-fight win streak, holding UFC victories over #3 ranked Flyweight Brandon Royval (17-8-0), #14 ranked Flyweight Bruno Silva (15-7-2), and Rei Tsuruya (10-1-0). He’s a dangerous striker who’s constantly coming forward and letting his hands go. He fights behind his jab and favors volume to power, throwing everything in combination without loading up or telegraphing. Van has outstanding head movement and distance management, regularly looking to dodge punches before unloading combinations. Training at 4oz Fight Club, he does an exceptional job varying his shots, entering the pocket at different angles, and constantly attacking his opponent’s body and legs. He’s willing to grapple, possessing solid takedown defense and landing, on average, about one takedown per fifteen minutes. Van has the highest significant strikes landed per minute in UFC history, with 8.86, and has outlanded seven of his nine UFC opponents.

(C) Merab Dvalishvili vs. #3 Petr Yan

*Merab Dvalishvili lands a thunderous left hook on Cory Sandhagen. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Bantamweight Title Bout

Merab Dvalishvili: 21-4-0, 3 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Petr Yan: 19-5-0, 7 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Dvalishvili is on a fourteen-fight win streak and has UFC victories over #1 ranked Bantamweight Umar Nurmagomedov (19-1-0), #2 ranked Bantamweight Sean O’Malley (18-3-0), and his current opponent, Petr Yan. He has monstrous cardio, relentlessly pursuing takedowns and landing big flurries on the feet. He’s incredibly durable, always willing to eat a shot to land one, and is constantly pressuring forward. Dvalishvili can easily wrestle for five rounds, averaging nearly six takedowns landed per fifteen minutes in the UFC. Training with the Serra-Longo Fight Team, his constant wrestling threat helps to mask his striking, often feinting a takedown before coming forward to land powerful hooks and big combinations. He never stops moving on his feet or the ground, constantly looking for a better position or opening to land a shot. Dvalishvili has outlanded all of his UFC opponents, averaging over 87 significant strikes landed in his last five fights.

*Petr Yan blasts Song Yadong with a cracking uppercut. Credit: Zuffa LLC.*

Yan has won three of his last five bouts, with UFC victories coming over #4 ranked Bantamweight Cory Sandhagen (18-6-0), #5 ranked Bantamweight Song Yadong (22-8-1), and #6 ranked Bantamweight Deiveson Figueiredo (25-5-1). He’s a versatile fighter with excellent striking and wrestling who’s dangerous wherever the fight goes. He’s highly technical and precise on his feet, doing a great job of mixing kicks into combinations and never telegraphing his attacks. Training at BK Arkhangel Mikhail, Yan never slows down, always pursuing a finish and throwing with maximum power and speed. He can push a crazy pace for 25 minutes and has fantastic cardio, landing, on average, about 129 significant strikes in his last five wins. He has excellent takedowns, especially trips, and will look to immediately do damage and land ground and pound from top position. Yan has faced nothing but the best in his UFC tenure and has gone toe-to-toe with five former or current champions.

Best Bets

Brandon Moreno Moneyline: This is an excellent matchup of a quickly rising star and a former champion. Both have well-rounded skill sets, but excel in different areas. Moreno has outstanding grappling and submissions, but is at his best on his feet, utilizing his excellent, technical boxing skills. Taira has proven to have solid punching power and technique, but is most comfortable on the mat hunting for a submission. Although both are comfortable anywhere and match up well, I believe the disparity in striking skills will be the most significant difference. Moreno’s hands seem to only get more and more polished with each fight, and he has now repeatedly proven his ability to knock off young contenders, with back-to-back wins over Amir Albazi and Steve Erceg. Moreno also has a wealth of experience, not just in five-round title fights but across the board, having faced a who’s who of the Flyweight division. Taira is still very young, and while he has a ton of potential, he’s never faced a fighter of Moreno's caliber who can truly fight anywhere. I expect this fight to get off to a quick start, with Moreno getting the better of the striking exchanges, forcing Taira onto the back foot and preventing him from shooting takedowns or clinching up. As the fight continues, I expect Moreno's pace to wear Taira down, slowing him and forcing him to shoot less, which will cause him to engage with Moreno on the feet, where Moreno is most dangerous. Neither of these men has ever been put away, so while I wouldn’t anticipate a crazy highlight-reel finish, I do expect an entertaining fight in which Moreno emerges the victor.

Alexandre Pantoja Moneyline: Possibly one of the most anticipated title fights of the year, I’ve been looking forward to this one. Both of these fighters have consistently put on excellent, exciting fights, and are sure to have an all-time classic this Saturday. Both are fan favorites, but aren’t remarkably similar in style. Pantoja is a true mixed martial artist, possessing exceptional, powerful striking and top-notch wrestling and BJJ. Van is much more of a striking specialist, but unloads a volume of strikes rarely seen outside of a Max Holloway fight and has quickly become a must-watch fighter. Similar to the Moreno vs. Taira fight, Van is still very young. Although he’s coming off a massive win (and fight of the year) over Brandon Royval, Pantoja is a different monster altogether. I believe the difference-maker in this matchup will be Pantoja's grappling. I anticipate some contested striking exchanges early on, but as the fight continues and the pace slows, I expect Pantoja to start shooting takedowns and bringing the fight to the mat. Once it gets there, I believe Van will be entirely outmatched and controlled, with Pantoja landing ground and pound and threatening with submissions. When this fight reaches the championship rounds, I expect Pantoja to be in firm control and the fresher man, able to dictate the pace of the striking exchanges and prevent Van from throwing with his usual volume. Ultimately, I expect plenty of competitive moments and exchanges, but I believe Pantoja will defend the title decisively.

Merab Dvalishvili by Decision: An intriguing rematch of two top-level Bantamweights, this one is sure to deliver. Now over two years removed from their first meeting, they will meet again, with gold on the line. At the time of their first matchup, they were both in very different spots in their careers; Yan was in the midst of his first-ever losing streak and two fights removed from losing the title. Dvalishvili was still only a contender on his way up to the belt, albeit on an impressive win streak. Now, Dvalishvili is a dominant champion with three successful defenses, and Yan is riding a three-fight win streak against top-ranked opponents. Although much has changed since the first time these two went toe-to-toe, neither fighter’s style has changed significantly. Dvalishvili is still a cardio monster and marauding wrestler, and Yan is still a sharp striker with serious power and excellent grappling. While both are still at the top of their game, I still believe Dvalishvili is the better, more put-together fighter. The pace and pressure Dvalishvili applies have consistently proven insurmountable, as he seems to drown his opponents in a sea of takedowns and punch combinations. Despite his recent victories, I haven’t seen anything in Yan’s performances to suggest this fight will go any differently than the first. I expect Dvalishvili to push a heavy pace from the opening bell, constantly coming forward and forcing Yan to engage with him, both on their feet and on the ground. As the fight continues, I expect Dvalishvili to keep pouring on takedowns and damage, wearing down Yan and preventing him from fighting at range and using his dangerous kickboxing. While I do expect this fight to be more closely contested than their first meeting, I still expect it to end in an identical outcome and for Dvalishvili to earn his fourth title defense of 2025.

UFC 323 Preview