Merab Dvalishvili, fresh off a successful bantamweight title defense against Cory Sandhagen at UFC 320, has called for a swift change in his next opponent, and the UFC answered. Dana White, the UFC CEO, revealed on Monday that Dvalishvili will face Petr Yan in the headline fight of UFC 323 scheduled for December 6 in Las Vegas. This bout offers Dvalishvili the chance to make history by becoming the first fighter to defend his UFC title four times in a single year, having previously beaten Umar Nurmagomedov in January, Sean O’Malley in June, and Sandhagen recently.
Dvalishvili defeated Yan by decision in their last encounter in March 2023. Since then, Yan has been rebuilding his career after dropping the bantamweight title to Aljamain Sterling and enduring three consecutive losses. He is now on a three-fight winning streak as he works toward reclaiming a title shot.
In other championship news, White announced a flyweight title co-main event featuring champion Alexandre Pantoja against rising contender Joshua Bunn. Pantoja is riding an eight-fight winning streak, including five title match victories, while Bunn aims to seize his chance with five straight wins.
Additionally, two non-title matches were confirmed: former bantamweight champ Henry Cejudo will face Peyton Talbot at 135 pounds, and former light heavyweight champ Jan Blachowicz will attempt to break a three-fight losing streak against Bogdan Guskov, who is currently on a four-fight winning run.
Fan Take: This lineup at UFC 323 promises intense competition and thrilling storylines, particularly with Dvalishvili’s historic title defense on the line. For fight fans, it’s a pivotal moment that could reshape the bantamweight division and bring exciting new rivalries into the spotlight.
