UFC Books Dvalishvili–Yan Rematch for Dec. 6 as Champion Chases Fourth Defense of 2025

Overview

• UFC CEO Dana White confirmed Merab Dvalishvili will defend his bantamweight title against former champion Petr Yan in the UFC 323 main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on December 6.
• The card is reported as the promotion’s final pay-per-view on ESPN before its planned platform move.
• Dvalishvili enters on a 14-fight winning streak with 2025 defenses over Umar Nurmagomedov, Sean O’Malley in a rematch, and Cory Sandhagen, and he holds the UFC records for most bantamweight wins in a row and most career takedowns at 117.
• A victory over Yan would make him the first UFC champion to record four successful title defenses in a single calendar year, coming just eight weeks after his five-round win over Sandhagen.
• Jon Anik praised Dvalishvili as this year’s most drug-tested athlete and lauded his mental strength, while Michael Bisping warned that frequent fights and grinding style risk burnout, and Jimmie Rivera placed Dominick Cruz ahead of Dvalishvili in the bantamweight GOAT debate.