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UFC 323 Resets Title Races as Petr Yan Reclaims Bantamweight and Joshua Van Takes Flyweight Belt

Matchmaking now hinges on a potential Yan–Dvalishvili trilogy and Alexandre Pantoja’s recovery as the UFC wraps its ESPN pay-per-view run.

Overview

  • Dana White lauded Yan vs. Dvalishvili as an incredibly high-level fight and acknowledged trilogy talk, but he stopped short of committing to an immediate rematch.
  • Merab Dvalishvili said the UFC told him his next bout would be a title rematch with Yan and stated he wants to return as early as April, though final booking remains unannounced.
  • Post-event rankings moved Yan back into the pound-for-pound top 10, with Dvalishvili and Pantoja sliding and new flyweight champion Joshua Van making a notable climb on some lists.
  • Van won the flyweight title after Pantoja suffered a severe arm injury 26 seconds into the co-main event, and Tatsuro Taira is being discussed as a likely challenger if Pantoja cannot return soon.
  • UFC 323 closed the promotion’s ESPN pay-per-view era, with decisions on rematches and title defenses set to shape the calendar ahead of the Paramount+ shift in 2026.