Merab displays the UFC belt. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/UFC
Merab Dvalishvili will face former champion Petr Yan for the bantamweight title (up to 61,2kg) in the main event of UFC 323, scheduled for December 6, 2025, in Las Vegas (USA). The announcement was made by UFC president Dana White during a live broadcast on his social media.
It will be a rematch between the two athletes, who faced each other in March 2023, with Merab winning by unanimous decision. In the first fight, the Georgian dominated the fight, applying pressure and landing 11 takedowns, scoring the fight 50-45 according to all three judges.
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Dvalishvili is seeking his fourth title defense in 2025 to maintain his dominance in the division. Since his first victory over Yan, the fighter has remained dominant at the top with impressive wins, including a rematch against Sean O'Malley and a victory over Cory Sandhagen.
On the other hand, Petr is coming off a recovery after a losing streak, with three consecutive wins over Song Yadong , Deiveson Figueiredo , and Marcus McGhee.
UFC 323 will also feature a flyweight (up to 56,7kg) title defense between Brazilian champion Alexandre Pantoja and the young prospect Joshua Van as the co-main event . Former light heavyweight (up to 93kg) champion Jan Blachowicz faces Bogdan Guskov.
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