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UFC 323 Crowns Petr Yan and Joshua Van as Dana White Expects Van Defense Before Pantoja Rematch

Sportsbooks tip Tatsuro Taira as next in line, with Pantoja’s recovery timeline uncertain.

Overview

  • Petr Yan defeated Merab Dvalishvili by unanimous decision to regain the bantamweight title, and he cooled talk of granting an immediate trilogy.
  • Dana White praised Yan–Dvalishvili as an “incredibly high-level” fight but offered no rematch commitment as the UFC closes its ESPN pay-per-view era.
  • Joshua Van claimed the flyweight belt after Alexandre Pantoja sustained a fight-ending arm injury 26 seconds into the bout, with reports differing on shoulder versus elbow.
  • White said Van will likely defend before any Pantoja rematch, and BetOnline posted early odds making Van a slight favorite over Tatsuro Taira for early 2026.
  • Tatsuro Taira boosted his case by stopping former champion Brandon Moreno, and the UFC has floated Van vs. Taira as a potential headliner for a long-awaited return to Japan.