UFC 323 delivered a dramatic close to 2025, headlined by Petr Yan reclaiming the bantamweight championship with a composed and tactical unanimous-decision victory over Merab Dvalishvili. Yan’s striking precision and takedown defense proved to be the difference in a fight built on pace and pressure. In the co-main event, the flyweight belt changed hands in shocking fashion when Joshua Van became champion after Alexandre Pantoja suffered a severe arm injury early in the first round, forcing a stoppage and giving Van the TKO win.

The rest of the main card kept the momentum going. Tatsuro Taira scored the biggest victory of his career by finishing former flyweight king Brandon Moreno in the second round — the first time Moreno had ever been stopped in the UFC. Rising bantamweight Payton Talbott continued his ascent with a clean sweep on the scorecards against former double-champ Henry Cejudo, while the light-heavyweight matchup between Jan Błachowicz and Bogdan Guskov ended in a majority draw after a closely contested three-round battle.

Elsewhere on the card, Maycee Barber made a successful return after nearly two years away, earning a hard-fought decision win over Karine Silva. The event also featured a standout moment when Iwo Baraniewski scored a lightning-quick first-round TKO over Ibo Aslan in a wild, high-intensity exchange that became one of the most talked-about fights of the night. UFC 323 ultimately delivered a mix of championship upheavals, breakout performances, and unforgettable moments to close out the year.

Results

Main Card (PPV)

  • Petr Yan def. Merab Dvalishvili (c) via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) — Yan becomes bantamweight champion again
  • Joshua Van def. Alexandre Pantoja (c) via first-round TKO (injury) at 0:26 — Van becomes flyweight champion
  • Tatsuro Taira def. Brandon Moreno via TKO (punches), Round 2 (2:24)
  • Payton Talbott def. Henry Cejudo via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Jan Błachowicz vs. Bogdan Guskov ends in a majority draw (29-28, 28-28, 28-28)

🟡 Prelims

  • Manuel Torres def. Grant Dawson via TKO (punches), Round 1 (2:25)
  • Chris Duncan def. Terrance McKinney via submission (anaconda choke), Round 1
  • Maycee Barber def. Karine Silva via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Fares Ziam def. Nazim Sadykhov via TKO (elbows & punches), Round 2 (4:59)

⚔️ Early Prelims

  • Brunno Ferreira def. Marvin Vettori via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
  • Jalin Turner def. Edson Barboza via TKO (punches), Round 1 (2:24)
  • Iwo Baraniewski def. Ibo Aslan via KO (punches), Round 1 (1:29)
  • Mansur Abdul-Malik def. Antonio Trocoli via submission (standing guillotine), Round 1 (1:09)
  • Mairon Santos def. Muhammad Naimov via TKO (punches), Round 3 (0:21)