In what was the last Pay-Per-View card in the UFC’s ESPN broadcasting contract era, UFC 323 boasted a fittingly exciting night of fights.
The 14-fight card featured nine finishes with two of those finishes coming on the five-fight main card. “The Machine,” Merab Dvalishvili, stalled and came up short against Petr Yan in the main event, losing his 135lb title. And in the co-main event, an anticlimactic injury inside of thirty seconds. This resulted in Joshua Van walking away with the flyweight title over Alexandre Pantoja. Not too many fighters to match up on this edition of losers after a retirement, an early injury, and a draw.
Merab Dvalishvili
Petr Yan came with the perfect game plan Saturday, piecing up Merab Dvalishvili and denying takedown after takedown on the way to capturing the bantamweight title. Yan entered the fight ranked at #3 in the division. Merab fought tenaciously but Yan just seemed to have an answer for everything that was thrown his way.
This fight should be run back immediately. The pair first fought in 2023 with Merab earning a decision over five rounds. Merab is now 5-1 since that bout. Petr is now 4-0. A lot of fans would appreciate an immediate rematch as both fights were incredibly entertaining. Dvalishvili was attempting a historic fourth title defense in a calendar year. He was an active champion. It’s only fair to give him an automatic rematch and to make his fights with Yan a proper trilogy. This fight could headline another PPV as now the first two fights have gone the distance- and been epic.
Dvalishvili’s next fight: Petr Yan III
Alexandre Pantoja
Joshua Van become the second youngest UFC champion in promotion history after an unfortunate injury to the champ, Alexandre Pantoja, ended the pair’s bout prematurely. The fight lasted just 26 seconds before Pantoja’s untimely injury in his fifth title defense. The loss snaps an eight-fight win streak for Pantoja that began back in 2021.
Due to the nature of the injury (a nasty looking break or dislocation to the arm), Pantoja’s win streak leading up to the injury and the current landscape of the division- Alexandre, when healthy, should be offered an immediate shot at the belt. Ideally, it’s against Joshua Van but depending on the severity of Pantoja’s injury he could be sidelined for a while. And, of course, the show would continue on without him. So, whoever is holding the belt upon Pantoja’s return, should face the former champ that lost his belt due to a freak injury.
Pantoja’s next fight: UFC Flyweight Champion
Brandon Moreno
Tatsuro Taira stopped former champion Brandon Moreno in the second round of their bout on Saturday. The TKO stoppage was not without a bit of controversy as #2 ranked Moreno was still conscious and working when the fight was stopped. Taira entered the fight ranked at #5 in the division. Brandon is now 2-2 since losing his title in a split decision to Alexandre Pantoja in 2023.
Brandon’s next fight should be against Kyoji Horiguchi. Kyoji is currently ranked at #8 in the division. Kyoji is a former RIZIN and Bellator champion who had a 7-1 stint with the UFC from 2013 to 2016 (only loss was Demetrious Johnson). Since resigning with the UFC earlier this year, Horiguchi stopped Tagir Ulanbekov in the final round of their bout on November 22nd. Horiguchi is now ranked at #8 in the division and finished the #12 ranked guy. Giving Moreno a fight like this gives him plenty of respect after a controversial stoppage. It also gives Kyoji an opportunity to introduce himself to UFC fans against a former title challenger. This fight would be a great headliner for a fight night card, and the winner could be looking at a title eliminator bout.
Moreno’s next fight: Kyoji Horiguchi
Henry Cejudo
Payton Talbott butchered and battered Henry Cejudo on his way to a unanimous decision over the former UFC double champion. Cejudo entered the fight ranked at #10 in the division, while Payton was unranked. If Cejudo’s second retirement sticks he’ll end his career on a four-fight slide stemming from his 2023 split decision loss to Aljamain Sterling for the bantamweight strap.
Cejudo’s next fight: Retirement
Jan Blachowicz vs. Bogdan Guskov
The first fight on UFC 323’s main card, Jan Blachowicz vs Bogdan Guskov ended with in a majority draw. Jan entered the fight coming off an injury ranked at #5, while Bogdan was at #11. That fight should be rebooked for a rematch as it was entertaining and both fighters were very closely matched as the veteran evened the score after Guskov jumped out to an early lead.
Blachowicz/Guskov’s next fight: rematch
