Reigning UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili was left stunned after learning live on-air that he will headline UFC 323 in December for a record-breaking fourth title defense of the year.
UFC CEO Dana White made the surprise announcement Monday via Instagram Live, confirming Dvalishvili’s rematch with former champion Petr Yan as the main event for UFC 323 on December 6 at T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas. The Georgian champion was appearing on The Ariel Helwani Show when the matchup was revealed — catching him completely off guard.
“I had no idea!” Dvalishvili exclaimed. “They never guaranteed me anything. I just told them I wanted to stay active — and now I’m fighting again!”
The bout marks Dvalishvili’s fourth title fight in 2025, following successful defenses over Sean O’Malley, Umar Nurmagomedov, and most recently Cory Sandhagen at UFC 320. If victorious, the 34-year-old will become the first fighter in UFC history to record four successful championship defenses in a single calendar year.
Yan, 32, enters the rematch after a three-fight win streak and insists he’s fully recovered from the hand injury that hindered him in their first meeting in March 2023 — a dominant performance by Dvalishvili that set the UFC record for 49 takedown attempts in a single fight.
UFC 323 Fight Card Overview
Dana White also announced several major fights for UFC 323, including:
- Flyweight title bout: Champion Alexandre Pantoja vs. rising star Joshua Van
- Henry Cejudo vs. Payton Talbott in a pivotal bantamweight clash
- Jan Błachowicz vs. Bogdan Guskov at light heavyweight
Pantoja, on an eight-fight win streak, defends his belt for the fifth time, while 24-year-old Van seeks to complete a remarkable rise since joining the UFC in 2023.
Meanwhile, Cejudo — the Olympic gold medalist and former two-division champion — looks to rebound from recent losses against a surging prospect, and Błachowicz aims to revive his career against knockout artist Guskov.
With Dvalishvili chasing history and Yan seeking redemption, UFC 323 promises to close out 2025 as one of the most action-packed and story-rich cards of the year.
