David vs Goliath

Merab Dvalishvili (right) vs. Petr Yan (left) II via mmafighting.com

On December 6th, the UFC heads to the fight capital, Las Vegas, Nevada, for the company’s final pay-per-view event. UFC 323 is a stacked card, with riveting fights from top to bottom, so without further ado, let's dive into some pivotal matchups.

Merab Dvalishvili vs Petr Yan II

In the main event, Bantamweight GOAT, Merab Dvalishvili, looks to defend his title in the rematch versus Petr Yan.

In 2025, Merab Dvalishvili sparked some uncomfortable discussions among fans. Before even winning the belt, Dvalishvili had already defeated three former champions.

After winning the belt in September 2024, Dvalishvili went on a tear.

The champion is seeking his record-setting fourth title defense of 2025. Dvalishvili has racked up wins over Umar Nurmagomedov, Sean O’Malley, and Cory Sandhagen, all via domination.

Now, Dvalishvili looks to wipe out the division, defeating Petr Yan for the second time.

On the other side lies a former champion, looking to prove that he’s still the best 135-pound fighter in the world.

Petr Yan knows what it takes to be a champion. After defeating José Aldo to win the title, fans thought Yan would dominate the division for years. However, after losing the belt to Aljamain Sterling by disqualification, Yan suffered a series of controversial losses. 

On the brink of irrelevance, Yan strung together a three-fight win streak, with impressive wins over Song Yadong, Deiveson Figueiredo, and Marcus McGhee. Now, not only does Yan want his belt back, but he’s desperate to avenge his previous loss to Dvalishvili.

The last time these two fought, the circumstances were drastically different. Yan, the heavy favourite, entered the contest looking to re-enter the title picture, and Dvalishvili was a young, relatively unknown contender. Fans thought Yan would dismantle Dvalishvili, with methodical striking and a balanced ground game. However, what ensued was a sight to behold.

Dvalishvili dominated Yan for five straight rounds, pitching a shutout, but that wasn’t the impressive part. Dvalishvili shot for a record-setting 49 takedowns on Yan. That’s nearly ten takedown attempts per round. To put that in perspective, the second-most attempts are 37, also from Dvalishvili.

After that performance, fans knew it was only a matter of time before Dvalishvili won the belt, and not only did he win, but he’s run away with countless records that may never be topped.

So, tactically speaking, the game plan for Dvalishvili is the same as every fight. Pressure his opponent, constantly on the front foot, push him back to the fence, and take him down.

Dvalishvili is more than happy to let opponents back to their feet, only to bring them down again, draining any stamina they had.

For Yan, he needs to keep the fight on his feet. With arguably the best boxing in the UFC, Yan needs to bring that technical violence fans fell in love with, methodically chopping Dvalishvili down like a tree. He isn’t going to win a decision. Against Dvalishvili, nobody can.

If Yan wants to recapture the glory he once had, he must knock out Dvalishvili.

Will Dvalishvili cement his legacy as one of the greatest ever? Or will Yan put a stop to the madness?

Alexandre Pantoja vs Joshua Van

The co-main event is very similar to the main.

In one corner, you have a dominant champion, seeking his fifth title defense against a hungry challenger, looking to prove his greatness.

Alexandre Pantoja has done something nobody at 125 pounds has been able to do: bring eyes to the division.

Pantoja has scratched and clawed for everything in his career, and he now lies on the brink of history.

Similar to Dvalishvili, Pantoja has entered into all-time legend status.

Lying under the shadow of the greatest flyweight in history, and arguably the GOAT, Demetrious Johnson, Pantoja has undoubtedly asserted himself as the second-best flyweight of all time. 

He now faces a fresh challenge, something he’s never seen before, and frankly, nobody saw coming.

Joshua Van, at a mere 24 years old, finds himself on the world’s biggest stage, fighting for UFC gold. The young contender made a name for himself in 2025, ascending from a prospect to a potential champion.

In June of 2025, Van defeated fellow contender Bruno Silva. This was an impressive win, no doubt, but Van still had yet to be on Pantoja’s radar. He was a young prospect who likely needed a couple more years to reach a title fight.

But what came after that fast-tracked Van to superstardom. On three weeks' notice, Van stepped in at UFC 317 to face number one contender and former title challenger Brandon Royval.

Van and Royval put on the fight of the year, and after emerging victorious, Van became a star.

Having defeated the division’s boogeyman on less than a month's notice, there was no doubt that Van was next for the title. Now, he finds himself against his toughest challenge to date.

Tactically, this is a classic striker-versus-grappler matchup. Pantoja has built his career on drowning his opponents with constant pressure, finding takedowns, and locking up submissions. With arguably the best grappling base in MMA, once Pantoja takes your back, the fight’s over.

Van, on the other hand, possesses crisp boxing, punching power, and the heart of a champion.

If Van can keep Pantoja at range and use his sharp stand-up skills, he will be in a good position to win. Van will have to try and keep Pantoja on the back foot, something easier said than done. If he lets Pantoja push him towards the fence, circling around the cage in defensive mode, the fight will conclude quickly.

Another glaring factor is the age discrepancy. With an eleven-year age gap, Van enters the contest as the fresher, sharper fighter. 

He’s never fought on this big a stage, under the bright lights, for millions to see. But this may be an advantage for Van.

His ignorance of the significance of the moment may alleviate any pressures and allow him to enter the fight calm and composed.

This matchup will shift the flyweight division on its axis. Will Pantoja defeat the final contender, or will Van represent the new age of MMA?

Main Card

The rest of the main card is filled with pivotal matchups with title implications.

Former champion Brandon Moreno looks to re-enter the flyweight title picture against Japanese star Tatsuro Taira.

Also, UFC legend Henry Cejudo enters the octagon for the final time in his storied career, against young contender Payton Talbott.

As the UFC closes the door to the pay-per-view era, UFC 323 is the perfect way to do so.

Safe to say, it will be a night to remember on December 6th, and UFC fans are in for a treat.