If 2025 wasn’t already Merab Dvalishvili’s year, he’s looking to put stamp on it Dec. 6.
That’s when Dvalishvili (21-4 MMA, 14-2 UFC) will headline UFC 323 in a rematch vs. Petr Yan (19-5 MMA, 11-4 UFC). The event takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and marks the final pay-per-view of the promotion’s ESPN era – and maybe ever – as the UFC moves away from the pay-per-view model.
Dana White announced the news Monday.
“You’ve got to respect Merab for wanting to break the record,” White said on Instagram live. “I love this sh*t.”
Dvalishvili, 34, looks to become the first UFC champion to defend his/her title four times in a calendar year. He defeated Umar Nurmagomedov in January, former champion Sean O’Malley in June, and Cory Sandhagen earlier this month at UFC 320.
Since he lost a unanimous decision to Dvalishvili in March 2023, Yan has won three consecutive fights. All three have been unanimous decisions against Song Yadong, Deiveson Figueiredo, and Marcus McGhee respectively.
With the addition, the UFC 323 lineup includes:
- Merab Dvalishvili vs. Petr Yan
- Alexandre Pantoja vs. Joshua Van
- Jan Blachowicz vs. Bogdan Guskov
- Brandon Moreno vs. Tatsuro Taira
- Henry Cejudo vs. Payton Talbott
- Maycee Barber vs. Karine Silva
- Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Antonio Trocoli
