The last UFC PPV of the year showed a lot of thrills, as expected, in the Fighting Capital of the World.
The event showcased plenty of knockouts and involved some energetic one-round wars, which were certainly crowd pleasers.
The main event was a fantastic watch to end 2025, though the co-headliner ended on a huge disappointment.
With all the crazy action that was witnessed at the T-Mobile Arena, here is everything that happened at UFC 323.
The redemption arc is complete
The headliner featured a rematch for the ages between two of the best high-level athletes for the bantamweight title.
Merab Dvalishvili’s goal was to successfully defend his 135lbs title for a fourth time in a calendar year.
The only thing on Petr Yan’s mind was claiming revenge on his opponent and regaining the bantamweight championship.
Their first bout was very one-sided, but this battle was a lot closer and far more entertaining for viewers.
Throughout the five rounds, Yan took the advantage with his slick boxing style, which caused a few problems for Dvalishvili.
With 29 takedown attempts, ‘The Machine’ could only land two against the Russian as the defence was impeccable to watch.
‘No Mercy’ occasionally hurt the Georgian to the body, which had a big impact in the latter rounds of the fight.
In the end, Yan was the winner by unanimous decision, regaining his bantamweight title after more than four years and completing his incredible redemption arc.
Flyweight title changes hands in unfortunate way
The co-main event was full of anticipation in what may be one of the best matchups in the 125lbs division.
Alexandre Pantoja aimed for his fifth title defence after last defeating Kai Kara-France at UFC 317.
Joshua Van hoped to become the new champion as he competed for the fourth time in 2025.
It was a battle that many predicted would go the distance and be a close contest between the two high-level fighters.
As soon as the first round began, both men exchanged strikes as a very exciting fight was on the horizon.
However, Van blocked Pantoja’s kick and forced him to the ground with the Brazilian’s arm breaking as he landed.
‘The Cannibal’ was unable to continue due to the injury, and so after 26 seconds, the Burmese fighter became the new King of the Flyweights.
There is no question that a rematch will be made, but depending on the injury to Pantoja, Van may have to defend his belt first before running it back.
Other Highlights from UFC 323
Tatsuro Taira defeated Brandon Moreno by second-round TKO, potentially earning a title shot despite a premature stoppage from the referee.
Payton Talbott defeated Henry Cejudo in his final MMA fight, winning by unanimous decision to enter the bantamweight rankings.
Jan Blachowicz and Bogdan Guskov went the distance after three rounds, with the bout ending in a majority draw.
Manuel Torres knocked out Grant Dawson in the first round to enter the lightweight rankings, claiming his 16th first-round finish.
In a one-round slugfest, Chris Duncan submitted Terrance McKinney with an Anaconda Choke as he made it four consecutive wins in a row.
Maycee Barber succeeded in her first bout of 2025, defeating Karine Silva by unanimous decision to extend her triumphant streak to seven.
Fares Ziam earned a late second-round TKO victory against Nazim Sadykhov, increasing his win streak to six.
Brunno Ferreira went the distance for the first time in his career, picking up a huge decision win over #14 middleweight contender Marvin Vettori.
Jalin Turner made a positive return to the UFC after stopping Edson Barboza by first-round TKO.
After a wild one-round war, Iwo Baraniewski maximised his debut with an emphatic first-round TKO win over Ibo Aslan, extending his undefeated record.
Mansur Abdul-Malik remained unbeaten in his MMA career after earning a quick first-round standing Guillotine Choke win over Antonio Trocoli.
Mairon Santos continued his undefeated run in the UFC after knocking out Muhammad Naimov in round three.
