Dvalishvili vs Yan: Rematch for the UFC title on December 6th

Merab Dvalishvili Seeks Historic Record at UFC 323

Less than ten days away from defending his bantamweight title at UFC 322, champion Merab Dvalishvili already has his next challenge. Dvalishvili (21-4) will seek to defend his title for the fourth time this year in the main event of UFC 323, facing Petr Yan (19-5) on December 6 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, according to UFC CEO Dana White. If he wins, Dvalishvili would become the first champion in UFC history to defend a championship four times in a single year.

“You have to respect Merab for wanting to break the record. I love this sh*t,” White declared.

Dana White, UFC CEO

In addition to the main event, flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja (30-5) will defend his title against rising contender Joshua Van (15-2). Henry Cejudo (16-5), a former two-division champion, will also participate on the card, facing Payton Talbott (10-1). This fight will be a rematch of the five-round bout that took place in March 2023, when Dvalishvili was climbing the rankings. In that match, Dvalishvili dominated Yan, outstriking him 147-75 in total strikes and winning every round according to the judges’ scorecards. Dvalishvili also took down Yan, the former champion, 11 times. Dvalishvili, from Georgia, is ranked number 3 in the pound-for-pound rankings.