Introduction
UFC 323: Dvalishvili vs. Yan 2 took place on Saturday, December 6, 2025 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas — the final UFC pay-per-view event in the promotion's history. From 2026, UFC numbered events move to Paramount+ in the United States at no additional cost to subscribers, ending a PPV model the promotion had operated since 1993 and maintained throughout its seven-year partnership with ESPN.
The final PPV delivered two title changes and one of the year's biggest upsets. Petr Yan defeated Merab Dvalishvili via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) to reclaim the UFC bantamweight title — one of the most dominant revenge performances in bantamweight history, and one of the year's most stunning results. Dvalishvili had been the heavy favourite heading in, attempting to become the first UFC champion to defend a title four times in a single calendar year. Yan denied it comprehensively. In the co-main, Joshua Van became the second-youngest UFC champion in history when Alexandre Pantoja suffered a freak arm injury just 26 seconds into round one.
Quick Stats
📅 Date: Saturday, December 6, 2025
📍 Venue: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
📺 Broadcast: ESPN+ Pay-Per-View — the final UFC PPV event before the switch to Paramount+ in 2026
🏆 Main Event: Merab Dvalishvili (c) vs. Petr Yan — UFC Bantamweight Championship (135 lbs)
✅ Result: Yan def. Dvalishvili via Unanimous Decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) — Yan reclaims title
🥇 Co-Main: Joshua Van def. Alexandre Pantoja (c) via TKO (arm injury) — R1, 0:26 — Flyweight Title (new champion)
The Build-Up
Merab Dvalishvili had defended the bantamweight title three times in 2025: Umar Nurmagomedov (UD) at UFC 311, submission of O'Malley at UFC 316, UD over Sandhagen at UFC 320. A fourth consecutive defense would have made him the first UFC champion in history to defend a title four times in one calendar year. He was -485; Yan was +370.
Their first fight at UFC Fight Night in March 2023 had been a comprehensive Dvalishvili win. Yan had been dismantled by Dvalishvili's wrestling, set a record for most takedown attempts in a UFC fight (49), and lost 29-27 on two cards. The rematch was framed as whether Yan had found a solution to the wrestling problem that had neutralised him so thoroughly. He had.
Main Event: Yan vs. Dvalishvili 2
Yan came out striking from the opening bell and never stopped. His jab was unerring all night — Dvalishvili's face was a jab magnet from round one onwards, his head getting cut open as Yan repeatedly found the same angle. Yan also won the takedown war, stopping 27 of Dvalishvili's 29 attempts — the polar opposite of the first fight. He hurt Dvalishvili multiple times with body shots, including in round five, and consistently landed his right hand. Dvalishvili's wrestling — the weapon that had made him champion — was neutralised comprehensively.
Final scorecards: 49-46, 49-46, 48-47. Yan was dominant on all three cards; the 48-47 card was the minority view. Petr Yan was the UFC bantamweight champion for the second time, joining Dominick Cruz and TJ Dillashaw as the only fighters to reclaim the 135-pound title. He was emotional post-fight: 'I'm very, very happy. I worked so hard, I prepared so hard for this moment. This is my life.'
Co-Main: Van wins the Flyweight Title in 26 Seconds
One of the most shocking and most unfortunate UFC title fight endings of 2025. Alexandre Pantoja — defending the flyweight title for the fifth time — suffered a freak arm injury in the opening scramble of round one. The injury occurred at the 26-second mark; referee Herb Dean waved off the contest. Joshua Van was the new UFC flyweight champion. At 24 years old, Van became the second-youngest champion in UFC history, behind only Jon Jones.
For Pantoja, the injury ended a flyweight title reign that had spanned UFC 290 (July 2023) through five successful defenses without a competitive loss. His title reign ended not by defeat but by injury — one of the most decorated flyweight careers in UFC history closed by circumstance rather than competition.
Full Results
Main Card (Pay-Per-View — Final UFC PPV)
Petr Yan def. Merab Dvalishvili (c) — Unanimous Decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) — Bantamweight Title (Fight of the Night)
Joshua Van def. Alexandre Pantoja (c) — TKO (arm injury) — R1, 0:26 — Flyweight Title
Tatsuro Taira def. Brandon Moreno — TKO (punches) — R2, 2:24 — Flyweight
Payton Talbott def. Henry Cejudo — Unanimous Decision (30-27 ×3) — Bantamweight
Jan Błachowicz vs. Bogdan Guskov — Majority Draw (29-28, 28-28, 28-28) — Light Heavyweight
Manuel Torres def. Grant Dawson — TKO (punches) — Lightweight
Preliminary Card
Jalin Turner def. Edson Barboza — TKO (punches) — R1, 2:24 — Lightweight
Brunno Ferreira def. Marvin Vettori — Unanimous Decision (29-28 ×3) — Catchweight (189 lbs)
Maycee Barber def. Karine Silva — Unanimous Decision — Women's Flyweight (return from 21-month absence)
Fares Ziam def. Nazim Sadykhov — TKO — R2 — Lightweight (sixth consecutive win)
Bonuses & Awards
🥇 Fight of the Night: Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili — $50,000 each for the most compelling bantamweight championship fight of 2025.
Records & Milestones
• UFC 323 was the final UFC pay-per-view event. From 2026, UFC numbered events stream on Paramount+ at no extra cost — ending a PPV era that began in 1993.
• Petr Yan became the third fighter to win the UFC bantamweight title twice (Dominick Cruz, TJ Dillashaw).
• Dvalishvili's bantamweight title reign: 2024-2025, four defenses (Umar, O'Malley, Sandhagen, Yan 2). He fell one defense short of the first four-defense single calendar year in UFC history.
• Joshua Van became the second-youngest UFC champion in history (behind Jon Jones) at 24 years old.
• Pantoja's flyweight title reign ended: UFC 290 (July 2023) – UFC 323 (December 2025), five successful defenses, ended by injury rather than defeat.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 323 is remembered for three things: the end of an era, one of the year's biggest upsets, and one of the sport's most unfortunate title fight endings. The final UFC PPV produced two title changes and closed a chapter that had defined combat sports broadcasting since 1993. The first event on Paramount+ in 2026 will carry forward the same numbered events under a new commercial model.
Yan's reverse on Dvalishvili was one of the most complete tactical evolutions in recent bantamweight history — from being dominated by takedowns (49 attempts in the first fight) to winning the wrestling battle (stopped 27 of 29 in the rematch). For Dvalishvili, the loss ended the most active championship reign of 2025 — four defenses, three finishes, one decision — one title defense short of a historic record.
FAQ
Why was UFC 323 the last pay-per-view?
The UFC's new media deal with Paramount Skydance, effective from 2026, moved numbered events to Paramount+ in the United States at no additional cost to subscribers. This ended the UFC's PPV model that had been in place since the promotion's 1993 inception and had been operated under ESPN+ since 2018. The transition represents the largest change in UFC broadcast structure in the promotion's history.
How did Yan reverse the first fight so completely?
In their first fight, Dvalishvili had 49 takedown attempts and dominated on the ground. In the rematch, Yan's camp had spent 33 months solving the wrestling problem. Yan stopped 27 of Dvalishvili's 29 takedown attempts — a 93% takedown defense rate against a man whose game is defined by volume wrestling. With the wrestling neutralised, Yan's world-class striking was free to operate all night. The jab that cut Dvalishvili's face, the body kicks that wobbled him in rounds four and five, and the consistent head movement were the tools of a fighter who had prepared specifically and comprehensively for the rematch.
References
UFC 323: Dvalishvili vs. Yan 2 — Wikipedia