UFC 323 Recap: New Champions Emerge in Thrilling Night of Fights
The final UFC pay-per-view event of the ESPN era produced a thrilling night of fights at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, as two new champions were crowned at the top of the fight card. The event saw Petr Yan and Joshua Van claim titles in their respective divisions, with Yan’s victory being a remarkable comeback story. In this article, we will delve into the performances of the main card winners and present our Power Rankings for UFC 323: Dvalishvili vs Yan 2.
Petr Yan: The Comeback King
Any time a fighter wins a UFC title, it’s a special occasion. When a former champion rebounds to win back their old belt, it’s arguably even more special. But for Petr Yan, Saturday night’s win was on a whole other level. Yan had lost his title to Aljamain Sterling via disqualification, won the interim belt to earn a rematch, then lost to Sterling again. At that point, it felt like he had a mountain to climb to get back to the belt. However, Yan never lost his talent, and after a year away, he returned to reel off three straight victories to defeat Song Yadong, Deiveson Figueiredo, and Marcus McGhee to earn another shot at the gold.
Standing in his way was Merab Dvalishvili, who had beaten him so convincingly in their first meeting. But in the rematch, Yan produced the performance of his career as he neutralized the Georgian’s relentless takedown attack, then punished him on the feet with educated boxing. It was a brilliant performance, and one of the very best showings we’ve seen from a title challenger in 2025. As UFC President Dana White noted, “Petr Yan’s comeback is one of the most impressive stories in UFC history.”
Tatsuro Taira: The Rising Star
With a new champion crowned at 125 pounds and the former champion likely to be out of action for a while, the door is open for a new contender to step in and challenge for the belt. Tatsuro Taira may well be that man. Taira produced a big performance in his biggest UFC fight to date as he defeated former two-time flyweight champion Brandon Moreno via second-round TKO. It was a performance that proved that the Japanese contender was ready to bridge the gap from the chasing pack to the leading men at the top of the 125-pound division.
Taira was Octagonside for Joshua Van’s title win in the co-main event, and Joe Rogan name-checked the Japanese star during Van’s post-fight interview. A bout between the two looks highly likely, and who knows, it might even come in Taira’s homeland, with the UFC thought to be considering a return to Japan in 2026. As Taira stated in his post-fight interview, “I’m ready for the title shot, and I’m confident I can become the champion.”
Joshua Van: The New Champion
Winning a UFC title would usually warrant a higher spot in a power rankings list, but the way Van captured championship gold was far from perfect for the Myanmar-born, Texas-based fighter. Van’s rise has seen him become a popular presence at the top of the flyweight division, but his win over Alexandra Pantoja came as a result of a freak injury, rather than Van’s MMA excellence. Unfortunately, it meant that the win that should have been a huge, memorable fight, ended up being an almost accidental victory.
Pantoja’s arm injury, sustained just 26 seconds into the fight, meant the champion was unable to continue as he lost via injury TKO. And when one man loses by injury TKO, another wins by the same method. That man was Van, who celebrated his title win, regardless of the way it arrived. As Van noted, “I’m grateful for the win, but I know I need to prove myself as a champion in my first title defense.”
Payton Talbott: The Rising Bantamweight
The main card bantamweight bout between Henry Cejudo and Payton Talbott was the former two-division UFC champion’s farewell fight. But, as is so often the way in combat sports, he didn’t get the chance to go out with a win. Payton Talbott leveled up his game to match, and surpass, a Cejudo who certainly wasn’t at the same level that saw him win the bantamweight and flyweight titles. But it was still Henry Cejudo, and Talbott didn’t let his respect for the retiring legend get in the way of the job at hand, as he ran out a decisive winner on the scorecards, as he claimed a shutout victory to improve his record to 11-1.
That win, coupled with Cejudo’s subsequent retirement, should see Talbott break into the UFC’s bantamweight rankings, as a new chapter opens up for the Reno native in 2026. As Talbott stated, “I’m excited for the opportunity to face the best bantamweights in the world and prove myself as a top contender.”
Simon Head is Editor-in-Chief with renowned combat sports equipment company RDX Sports. Check out their latest range of MMA fightwear today.
