The final two UFC title defenses of 2025 will take place on Saturday. UFC 323 in Las Vegas.. In the main event, bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili will look to pick up his fourth win of the year as he faces former champion Petr Yan in a rematch.
If Dvalishvili can defeat Yan, he will set the record for most consecutive bantamweight title defenses (four) and become the first champion to defend the title four times in a calendar year. Yan is a dangerous opponent, with sharp boxing and strong takedown defense, but he is considered a +330 underdog.
A second title fight will support UFC 323. Alexander Pantoja is making a strong case for being the second-best flyweight champion in UFC history, behind only Mount Rushmore fighter Demetrius “Mighty Mouse” Johnson. His next opponent is irresistible. Joshua Wang burst onto the scene, going from UFC debutant to title contender in two years. Like Dvalishvili, he is fighting for the fourth time this year as he strives to become a UFC champion.
There's plenty more to see at this Vegas event. The decorated fighter is preparing for his final appearance in the Octagon when former two-division champion Henry Cejudo takes on rising prospect Payton Talbott. Cejudo told CBS Sports this week that he is ready for a new challenge after previously retiring from the sport in 2020. The 38-year-old also won Olympic gold in wrestling at the 2008 Beijing Games. Additionally, former flyweight champion Brandon Moreno will look to maintain his place in the rankings when he faces rising contender Tatsuro Taira. Moreno lost twice to Pantoja as a pro but could return for a title shot if he and Wang win on Saturday.
Merab Dvalishvili, the UFC's iron man, is not a man, he is “The Machine” trying to make history
Brian Campbell
With so much going on Saturday night, let's take a closer look at the full fight card with the latest odds before we get into our staff's predictions and picks for the PPV portion of the festivities you may want to consider before getting down to business. bookmakers.
UFC 323 fight card, odds
Odds via Bookmaker DraftKings
- Merab Dvalishvili -425 (c) vs. Petr Yan +330, bantamweight title
- Alexander Pantoja -238 (h) vs. Joshua Wang +195, flyweight title
- Tatsuro Taira -122 vs. Brandon Moreno +102, Flyweight
- Payton Talbott -278 vs. Henry Cejudo +225, Bantamweight
- Jan Blachowicz -135 vs. Bogdan Guskov +114, light heavyweights
- Grant Dawson -218 vs. Manuel Torres +180, lightweight
- Chris Duncan -166 vs. Terrence McKinney +140, lightweight
- Macy Barber -180 vs. Karine Silva +150, Women's Flyweight
- Fares Ziam -135 vs. Nazim Sadikhov +114, lightweight
- Marvin Vettori -115 vs. Bruno Ferreira -105, middleweight
- Jalyn Turner -298 vs. Edson Barboza +240, lightweight
- Ivo Baranevski -192 vs. Ibo Aslan +160, light heavyweights
- Mansour Abdul-Malik -1150 vs. Antonio Trocoli +650, middleweight
- Myron Santos -258 vs. Muhammad Naimov +210, featherweight
UFC 323 predictions, picks
With such a huge main event, the team at CBS Sports made their predictions and main card picks from Brian Campbell, Brent Brookhouse, Shakiel Majuri, Michael Mormile and Brandon Wise.
| Merab (c) vs. Yan | Merab | Merab | Merab | Merab | Jan |
| Pantoja (c) vs. Bi | Pantoja | Pantoja | Pantoja | Pantoja | Pantoja |
| Tyra vs Moreno | Moreno | Moreno | Moreno | Moreno | Tyra |
| Cejudo vs Talbott | Talbott | Talbott | Cejudo | Cejudo | Talbott |
| Blachowicz vs. Guskov | Guskov | Blachowicz | Blachowicz | Blachowicz | Blachowicz |
Predictions for the fight Merab Dvalishvili vs. Petr Yan
Campbell: Death, taxes and Dvalishvili by decision. This has been the reality for the bantamweight division for most of the last seven years, as Dvalishvili has won 14 straight. While the versatile Yan was compromised during their first meeting in 2023 with a hand injury, so was Dvalishvili, who has a history of persevering through physical setbacks. A reloaded Yan may have the strength and takedown defense to put up a fight (admittedly, this is Dvalishvili's fourth fight in 2025), but until another 135-pound fighter proves he can last 25 minutes with Dvalishvili and not be overwhelmed by the amount of striking and endless takedown attempts to deplete his gas tank, now is not the time choose against the champion.
Brookhouse: Dvalishvili is a pain to deal with; it's obvious. But he's also so good at what he does that it's impossible to formulate a real game plan against him. Yan scored a ton of takedowns on Dvalishvili in their first fight, but still lost on the scorecards. The mystery is whether Dvalishvili will be compromised by a fourth camp and a weight cut this calendar year. If Dvalishvili comes into the game as his usual self, it looks like Young will need a home run to immediately stop Dvalishvili and get the win. How has that worked out for someone lately against the champion?
Majuri: Recency bias is a dirty thing. Alex Pereira's report that he was compromised in his first fight against Magomed Ankalaev, and his subsequent return to form in the rematch, has caused some to read too much into Petr Yan's injury claims. Yan recently stated that he fought Dvalishvili for the first time with a hand injury. However, people forget that Dvalishvili allegedly suffered a hand injury. The fact is that fighters rarely compete at 100%. Injuries are something to consider, but we have to watch the data first. The data shows that Dvalishvili is the better fighter. Dvalishvili defeated Yan the first time, and he is only improving. A second win over Yan means Dvalishvili will defeat four top bantamweight contenders in less than a year. In contrast, while Yan has certainly gained momentum on his three-fight winning streak, none of the men he's defeated can compare to the three UFC champions—Aljamain Sterling, Sean O'Malley and Dvalishvili—to whom he lost. It's good to see Yan finding his groove, but he's mainly here so Dvalishvili can make history as the first champion to make four successful defenses in one year.
Who will win at UFC 323: Dvalishvili vs. Yan 2and how exactly does the battle end? Visit SportsLine now for detailed forecasts and analysis from the peerless expert who has won over $1,500 in his UFC main card picks and find out.
Predictions for the fight between Alexander Pantoja and Joshua Wang
Campbell: At 24 years old, Wang is an incredible story as he strives to become the second youngest champion in UFC history. But what Wang doesn't already know about facing an elite and experienced fighter like Pantoja, who is ranked pound-for-pound, is simply too much to overcome at such a young age. Expect Pantoja to combine the takedown threat with his technical striking to set up some tough back-and-forth exchanges early on before settling down and using Wang's aggressiveness against him. A late-round submission is out of the question for the experienced flyweight king as he defends his title for the fifth time.
Brookhouse: Van is probably a future champion. Pantoja doesn't yet look like the champion Van is ready to beat at the moment. Pantoja is so cunning, so dexterous, and so domineering that Vahn has never faced someone like him before. Wang is also fighting for the fourth time this year, so the same questions apply to him as to Dvalishvili. Van has shown no proven ability to finish fights at this level, while Pantoja becomes an absolute monster the second he senses an opponent is on edge or makes a mistake that leaves him open. If Wang can win a round or two and get on the scoresheet, it will be a huge win for the 24-year-old, but I fear we're stuck looking for moral victories for Wang and others.
Majuri: Saturday's co-main event has plenty of exciting contrasts: experience versus youth, wrestling versus hitting, underrated skill versus newness. Pantoja is a beast who has quietly built a flyweight resume second only to Demetrius “Mighty Mouse” Johnson. He has the most wins, finishes and submissions and the second most title fight wins in flyweight history. The champion combines an in-your-face brawling style with great wrestling and even better back control. His rear naked choke is particularly lethal, and he has never finished in 35 professional fights. If there's anyone who can crack that legendary chin, especially with Pantoja at 35, it's the contender. Wang is arguably the best pure striker in the division and is raring to go for the title with five wins in less than 12 months. His takedown defense could use some work, but he's amazingly quick on his feet. This fight will come down to whose strong defensive game will crumble first: Pantoja's chin or Wang's ability to get off the mat. Pantoja's speed is another important factor considering Wang has never fought for longer than 15 minutes. There are strong arguments for either fighter, but Pantoja's speed and experience should give him a decision win or a late submission.
Predictions for the fight between Brandon Moreno and Tatsuro Taira
Campbell: In a fight that could go a long way in establishing the next 125-pound title challenger, don't count how much more the 31-year-old Moreno, a former two-time flyweight champion, has left in the tank. In his last six fights, Moreno has only suffered a split decision loss, and he has bounced back nicely with back-to-back wins over Amir Albazi and Steve Erceg. Tyra, 25, is interesting but still too reckless for Moreno's boxing, which has leaned toward a more technical approach in recent years and should have enough power to firmly establish itself in the title picture.
Brookhouse: Moreno may have had a bit of a skid when he lost back-to-back split decisions to Alexander Pantoja and Brandon Royval, but the two wins that followed proved that Moreno is still a weak spot for anyone at flyweight. Tyra is a fun and exciting fighter and his striking is effective, so this is not an easy fight for Moreno, but I believe proven high level experience is always a factor to take into account. Moreno is 31 years old, which is not that young for the lightweight division, but he shows no signs that his best days are behind him. The way Moreno can get out of difficult situations even against the best fighters in the world is his special trait. Tyra may be able to bully her way to victory, but in this case I'm going with a proven veteran.
Majuri: Moreno is looking to emerge as the undisputed contender after back-to-back split decision losses to Pantoja and Brandon Royval. The former two-time flyweight champion did this by turning his back on every rising young star in front of him. Tyra is another member of the new wave of lightweights trying to replace the old guard. Moreno is such a versatile player, combining elusive striking with a tenacious wrestling game. Tyra is very attack-oriented, leaving major gaps in his striking and takedown defense. Moreno, who has never been stopped in 33 professional fights, should enjoy this for 15 minutes.
