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UFC 323 Reshapes Title Picture: Yan Reclaims 135, Van Wins 125 as Immediate Rematches in Doubt

Dana White expects Joshua Van to defend before Alexandre Pantoja is cleared.

Overview

  • Petr Yan defeated Merab Dvalishvili by unanimous decision to begin a second bantamweight title reign.
  • Yan said a trilogy is not guaranteed and suggested Dvalishvili earn another shot, citing contenders such as Umar Nurmagomedov.
  • Joshua Van became flyweight champion after Alexandre Pantoja suffered a fight-ending arm injury in 26 seconds, with the diagnosis disputed between a shoulder dislocation and possible elbow damage.
  • White indicated there will likely be a Van defense before any Pantoja rematch, with Tatsuro Taira emerging as a leading option and sportsbooks posting early odds.
  • The event closed the UFC’s ESPN pay-per-view era, as Taira stopped Brandon Moreno and Payton Talbott defeated Henry Cejudo, who announced his retirement, while Dvalishvili vowed to return stronger.