The final pay-per-view of 2025 crowns Petr Yan and Joshua Van as champions in the most dramatic ways possible
UFC 323 results are in from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas: Petr Yan is the new bantamweight champion after defeating Merab Dvalishvili by unanimous decision, and Joshua Van captured the flyweight title in just 26 seconds when Alexandre Pantoja suffered a devastating arm injury.
The December 7, 2025, card — the UFC‘s final pay-per-view before the Paramount+ era — delivered two title changes, a dominant retirement fight sendoff for Henry Cejudo, and a statement TKO from Tatsuro Taira. The Ringside Report MMA crew broke down every moment live. Here’s the full breakdown of what happened and why our pre-fight predictions went 3-2 on the night.
Jan Blachowicz vs. Bogdan Guskov Ends in Majority Draw
The pay-per-view opened with former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz facing rising contender Bogdan Guskov — or as Dave dubbed him, “The Goose.”
“The Goose is loose. You better believe it, baby,” Dave said before the fight, and the nickname stuck throughout the broadcast.
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The fight went the distance but failed to produce a winner. Judges scored it 29-28 for Guskov, 28-28, and 28-28 — a majority draw that satisfied nobody. For bettors, the draw meant a push on their wagers.
“What happens to the bet I made in the Yan versus Goose fight that was a draw?” a viewer asked in the Super Chat. Dave explained: “It’s a push. Your bet goes — you get your money back from the bet. Whatever you bet, you get that back.”
Neither fighter moved up significantly in the light heavyweight rankings, though Guskov proved he belongs at the top level. Blachowicz, now 42, showed he still has fight left in him despite the inconclusive result.
Payton Talbott Dominates Henry Cejudo in “Last Dance”
The height and reach discrepancy told the story before Payton Talbott and Henry Cejudo even touched gloves.
“5’4″ versus 5’10” is a big difference,” Dave noted. “He’s got a 70-inch reach. Henry Cejudo’s got a 64-inch reach. The height and reach discrepancy between these two guys is nuts.”
The hosts were skeptical about Cejudo’s comeback from the start. At 38 years old and fighting at bantamweight rather than his natural flyweight, the Olympic gold medalist was at a severe disadvantage.
“Like maybe he should have stuck around back then when he was still good and made some money then,” Dave said. “Whereas coming back now and fighting now, it’s like — well, why now?”
AJ agreed: “A lot of the young fans out there, they don’t even know who Henry is and his accomplishments. This is the only image they’ll get of him.”
Talbott used his length masterfully, stuffing Cejudo’s wrestling attempts and landing clean, straight punches throughout. When Cejudo tried to close the distance, Talbott’s jab kept him at bay.
“Oh, Talbott — wow — pushes him away. He stuffs the takedown on an Olympic wrestler,” AJ said with surprise. “And it looked pretty easy, actually.”
The judges saw it clearly: 30-27 across all three scorecards for Talbott. Cejudo’s “last dance” ended not with a bang but with a decisive shutout loss. For the decorated champion who once held two titles simultaneously, this was almost certainly the end of the road.
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Tatsuro Taira TKOs Brandon Moreno in Statement Win
The flyweight contender showcase delivered violence. Tatsuro Taira, the 25-year-old Japanese prospect on a 17-1 run, faced former champion Brandon Moreno in what both men hoped would position them for a title shot.
Moreno actually had the early advantage on the ground, working for a triangle choke and threatening submissions in the first round. But Taira’s wrestling made the difference in the second.
“That was a beautiful takedown. It shows you — getting that takedown straight into the mount,” Dave called as the action unfolded. “Brandon Moreno ate some punches, rolled to his stomach, which was a horrible move. Went belly down, got flattened out, and Taira finished him from there. It was automatic.”
Once Moreno gave up his back, it was over. Taira unleashed heavy punches until referee intervention at 4:22 of round two.
Moreno protested the stoppage, but the hosts weren’t buying it.
“That was a good stoppage. He was hurt, man. You can see it in his face and the way he covered up,” AJ said. “It wasn’t because he was defending. He was done.”
Dave agreed: “He was stuck and taking punches. What are you gonna do?”
The win positions Taira as the clear next contender at flyweight — though the division’s landscape was about to shift dramatically in the very next fight.
“He’s legit,” Dave said simply of Taira’s performance.
#AndNew #UFC323 pic.twitter.com/fr3b2QaLdj
— danawhite (@danawhite) December 7, 2025
Joshua Van Wins Flyweight Title After Pantoja Injury
What should have been the showcase co-main event became one of the strangest title changes in UFC history.
Alexandre Pantoja entered with more consecutive title defenses than any current UFC champion. Joshua Van, the 24-year-old challenger from Myanmar, entered as the underdog with knockout power that made him dangerous.
Twenty-six seconds later, it was over — but not how anyone expected.
Pantoja threw a head kick. Van caught it and pushed him away. When Pantoja landed, his arm buckled underneath him, dislocating or breaking horrifically. The fight was stopped immediately.
“Joshua Van wins the world title in the luckiest way you could possibly win a world title,” Dave said. “He barely had to fight. Twenty-six seconds. Did he even throw a strike?”
Fred and AJ confirmed Van had thrown some shots, but the reality was undeniable: this wasn’t a decisive victory. It was a freak accident.
“He caught the leg and pushed it, and then Pantoja landed badly. His arm broke, and Joshua Van won the fight,” Dave continued. “I have never seen a guy win a fight in 30 seconds off a head kick block. He blocked the head kick and won a world title.”
AJ, who had picked Van on his parlay, tried to give his pick some credit: “He did what he had to do there. He caught the other leg, and he threw him. It’s still a legitimate win.”
But Dave wasn’t ready to celebrate: “It’s not like he took his back and choked him out. It’s not like he landed a hook and knocked him to the floor. He caught a head kick and pushed him away. And Pantoja just posted wrong — his elbow gave in on itself.”
Alexandre Pantoja speaks for the first time following his injury at #UFC323
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) December 7, 2025
“It’s not just about myself today, it’s about Joshua Van. That’s his destiny, to win this belt tonight.
I’m gonna work very hard, and I’m gonna take my belt again.” 🙏
(via @Pantojamma) pic.twitter.com/0P0FQ6zreL
The comparison was obvious: Sterling vs. Yan from 2021, when an illegal knee gave Aljamain Sterling the bantamweight title by disqualification.
“It could have been the weirdest world title victory since Aljamain Sterling got a knee in the balls,” Dave noted — setting up the irony that Yan himself would be fighting for that same title in the main event.
Van becomes the second-youngest UFC champion in history at 24, behind only Jon Jones at 23. Pantoja responded on social media: “I’ve been through worse. I’ll come back even stronger, you can be sure of that.”
With Pantoja likely out 8-10 months minimum, Taira’s dominant win earlier in the night suddenly carries even more weight. The flyweight division just got thrown into chaos.
Petr Yan is the 3rd fighter to reclaim the undisputed UFC bantamweight championship (Cruz, Dillashaw).
— UFC (@ufc) December 7, 2025
[ @PetrYanUFC | #UFC323 ] pic.twitter.com/eRzsVoUmQj
Petr Yan Reclaims Bantamweight Title Over Merab Dvalishvili
The main event delivered the war everyone expected — and gave Petr Yan the redemption he’d been chasing for four years.
Merab Dvalishvili entered attempting something unprecedented: four title defenses in a single calendar year. He’d already beaten Umar Nurmagomedov, Sean O’Malley, and Cory Sandhagen in 2025. Yan was supposed to be defense number four.
Instead, Yan’s striking proved too sharp, too powerful, and too precise. His jab transformed Dvalishvili’s face into a bloody mess. His body work — punches and kicks to the midsection — had the champion reeling throughout.
“Peter Yan is a good fighter,” Fred said after the decision. “I remember his first title run, and I was like, oh, Peter Yan might be a champion for a while. And he lost the title, but Peter Yan is a good fighter.”
The scorecards read 49-46, 49-46, and 48-47 — all for Yan. Only one judge gave Dvalishvili even two rounds.
AJ disagreed with the scoring throughout: “Did you really think five was Peter Yan’s? Come on, man.” He felt Dvalishvili won rounds 1, 2, and 5.
But Dave pushed back: “I don’t think there was a robbery either way. I think it was pretty tight. I think Yan fought a good fight. I think Marab fought a good fight. I think we saw some rounds that were decided by maybe three or four punches on either side. And that’s high-level MMA. That’s World Championship MMA.”
Dvalishvili responded on social media with class: “Tonight wasn’t my night, but I will come back stronger than ever. Thank you, everyone, for your support.”
For Yan, the victory represents the redemption he’s sought since that illegal knee against Sterling in 2021 derailed what looked like an all-time great career. He earned an extra $50,000 for Fight of the Night and — more importantly — the bantamweight championship back around his waist.
😢💔 Merab tears up while recording emotional message to his fans from Georgia:
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) December 7, 2025
"I am ready to d*e for you. Thanks to my family, everything is fine. Mom, I love you. I feel great and more motivated than ever.
I've got a few small scratches on my face. But everything is okay.… pic.twitter.com/Pugpof1V0b
“Marab got Marabed,” AJ declared at the end of the broadcast. “According to AJ D’Alesio.”
Dave had the last word: “The new and now two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion: Petr Yan out of Russia.”
UFC 3232 Results: Predictions vs. Reality: How Did We Do?
On Thursday’s Ringside Report MMA, the crew broke down every fight and made their official picks. UFC 323 had other plans.
The Scorecard
| Fight | Dave’s Pick | AJ’s Pick | Actual Result | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merab vs Yan | Merab by decision | Merab finish before R5 | Yan by UD | ❌ Both Wrong |
| Pantoja vs Van | Pantoja by submission | Van upset | Van by TKO (injury) | ✅ AJ Called It |
| Moreno vs Taira | Taira by decision | Taira by decision | Taira by TKO R2 | ✅ Right Winner |
| Cejudo vs Talbott | Talbott by decision | Talbott by decision | Talbott by UD | ✅ Nailed It |
| Blachowicz vs Guskov | Guskov KO | Guskov KO | Majority Draw | ❌ Both Wrong |
Overall Record: 3-2 (correct winner in 3 of 5 fights)
The Biggest UFC 323 Miss: Merab Dvalishvili
Thursday’s UFC 323 preview positioned this as Merab’s coronation — the moment he’d cement himself as the greatest bantamweight of all time with an unprecedented fourth title defense in one calendar year.
What Dave said pre-fight: “Merab Dvalishvili is a legend in the making. He has defended the UFC bantamweight championship three times already in 2025, trying to make it his fourth title defense in this calendar year. Unprecedented. This is a level of activity from a champion that we have not seen in quite some time.”
What AJ predicted: “He already knows the game with Petr Yan; he’s been able to handle him easily for five rounds, and he’s a much better Merab, a much better striker, a much better all-around athlete. I think he’s going to end that fight with Petr Yan. I don’t think it’s gonna go five rounds.”
What actually happened: Yan’s striking proved sharper than anyone anticipated. His jab transformed Merab’s face into a bloody mess, and his body work had the champion compromised throughout. The judges gave Yan rounds 2, 3, 4, and 5 on two scorecards.
In hindsight: The preview’s analysis of Yan’s career setbacks — the Sterling DQ, the controversial O’Malley split decision, the first Merab loss when he was injured — actually supports why this result makes sense. Dave even noted Thursday: “He fell into some weird stuff… two judges gave it to O’Malley, one judge gave it to Yan. The judge who gave it to Yan was correct, so he got screwed out of that one.”
Yan at 32 was never washed — he was a pound-for-pound talent who hit a rough patch. The preview acknowledged his skill; it just underestimated his ability to make adjustments from the first fight.
AJ’s Vindication: Joshua Van
This was AJ’s boldest call, and while the method was utterly unexpected, his reasoning proved prescient.
What AJ said pre-fight: “I’m going with the underdog on this dude. I’m going with Joshua Van for the win. I think he’s gonna make a big surprise and a big statement on Saturday. This kid’s there, and he’s the real deal. He’s the future.”
He continued: “15 and 2 against a 35-year-old Pantoja. The kid is 24, going up against a 35-year-old Pantoja. You’re right on that cusp — 35 is the flag where your game is coming to its twilight.”
What actually happened: Van won in 26 seconds when Pantoja’s arm broke on a bad landing. Not the knockout AJ envisioned, but Van is now the second-youngest UFC champion in history.
In hindsight: AJ’s youth-vs-experience framing was spot-on, even if the execution was a freak accident. His point about modern 24-year-olds — “They’re different at 24. They might be young, but their levels of skill and their levels of training are very different from what they were 10 years ago.” Position Van as a legitimate champion regardless of how he won it.
The Cejudo Consensus: Sadly Accurate
Both hosts treated this as Cejudo’s funeral, and the 30-27 shutout confirmed it.
What Dave said pre-fight: “He was on top of the world, he was the double champion — flyweight, bantamweight champion in 2020. Beat Dominic Cruz and then retired, and it felt like he could have done so much more. He could have been remembered as one of the greatest of all time in MMA.”
What AJ said: “His best days are behind him. It’s gonna be tough when you start talking retirement, when you say you’re gonna retire win or lose — usually it’s gonna be an uphill battle.”
The bittersweet tone proved appropriate. The man who beat Demetrius Johnson and Dominick Cruz went out getting shut out by a 27-year-old prospect.
The Goose That Didn’t Get Loose
Dave’s “dog pick” and new nickname didn’t pay off — but it wasn’t because Guskov lost.
What Dave predicted: “This is my dog pick. I am going with Bo Goose. I think youth, power, scariness — have you seen the look of this guy? I got him knocking out Jan Błachowicz. The Goose will be loose on Saturday.”
What actually happened: Majority draw (29-28 Guskov, 28-28, 28-28). No knockout either way.
The prediction wasn’t crazy — Guskov did win on one scorecard. But at 42, Blachowicz proved he’s not ready to be put away. The “Goose” nickname, however, absolutely caught on during the watch-along.
Dave’s Parlay: Busted
The bet: Guskov (+105), Talbott (-275), Merab (-425) — $20 to win $69
Result: 1-2. The draw killed the Guskov leg, and Merab’s loss would have killed it anyway. AJ’s parlay — which included Van — likely cashed.
The Takeaway
What the preview got right: Youth dominance as a theme (Taira, Talbott, Van all winning), Cejudo’s decline trajectory, and Yan still being elite despite his rough stretch.
What the preview missed: Merab’s vulnerability to elite strikers who’ve made adjustments, and Blachowicz’s durability at 42.
The vindicated thesis: AJ’s consistent “youth wins” prediction across multiple fights proved to be the night’s defining narrative. Four of the five main card results favored the younger fighter.
What’s Next for the UFC in 2026
The final pay-per-view of 2025 set up massive storylines for the new year:
Bantamweight: Yan vs. Dvalishvili 3 seems inevitable. Their first fight was one-sided in Dvalishvili’s favor. The rematch was decisive for Yan. A rubber match could be the biggest fight in division history.
Flyweight: With Pantoja out for most of 2026, Taira vs. Van makes the most sense. “I think Taira and Van might be the next fight,” Dave predicted — and it’s hard to argue.
Light Heavyweight: The Blachowicz-Guskov draw resolves nothing. Both men need to run it back or face different opponents.
UFC 324 kicks off 2026 with a new 9 PM Eastern start time — “Because we’re all old guys that want to go to bed early,” Dave joked.
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