What's Next: UFC 323 Winners

"Before UFC 323, none of the two-time champions had ever regained their title after surmounting a three-fight losing streak. The man who was near the top of the pound-for-pound list in 2021 incomprehensibly threw away his belt with a stupid illegal strike. He then lost consecutive split decisions that were each a punch or two away from going his way. That skid was topped by Dvalishvili who thoroughly defeated him, blanking him on the scorecards."

"By that point, "No Mercy" was already two years removed from losing his belt and looked further away from it than ever. Years or specific training and game-planning for an eventual rematch with the Georgian "Machine" finally paid off on Saturday as Yan put on one of the greatest performances in a title fight by a challenger in recent memory. He beat Goliath, slayed the dragon, however you want to refer to it."

"The MMA leader ended their Pay-Per-View era (in the US) with a bang. Seven of the nine prelims fights at UFC 323 ended in a finish, five of which came in the first round. The main card then gave us a youth movement with Payton Talbott, Tatsuro Taira and Joshua Van all getting their hands raised. Finally, what a fight to cap the night. Petr Yan pulled off the impossible and killed the beast that is Merab Dvalishvili, who was attempting history."

UFC 323 ended the Pay-Per-View era in the United States with high activity and decisive outcomes. Seven of nine preliminary fights finished, five in the first round. The main card featured a youth movement as Payton Talbott, Tatsuro Taira and Joshua Van won their bouts. Petr Yan defeated Merab Dvalishvili to reclaim the bantamweight title, overcoming a prior three-fight losing streak that included a stripped title from an illegal strike and split-decision losses. Years of specific training and targeted game-planning produced one of the strongest challenger performances in recent title-fight memory. Winners now face renewed paths and potential rematches.

Read at Cageside Press