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Brett Okamoto
Both championship belts that were up for grabs at UFC 323 changed hands after long reigns, so it won’t be surprising to find out we’ve got rematch talk on the brain a day later. It feels unjust that we likely won’t get an immediate redo of Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja, because Pantoja was injured in their short tussle on Saturday and could be out for some time. It does mean the door is now open for an intriguing matchup in Van’s first championship defense against another young star in the making, Tatsuro Taira.
But at men’s bantamweight, there seems to be only one real option for new titleholder Petr Yan, and that’s a trilogy fight against Merab Dvalishvili.
Let’s break down those scenarios and more for the big winners and losers at UFC 323.
Petr Yan, men’s bantamweight champion
Who should be next: Merab Dvalishvili
The UFC has to do the trilogy, and it can’t wait. There are other intriguing matchups at men’s bantamweight and — don’t yell at me here; I’m just stating facts — if Sean O’Malley beats Song Yadong in January, cuts a promo after saying he wants a title match and Yan wants to fight O’Malley, too, that fight can’t be ruled out. But clearly, Dvalishvili, who was competing for the fourth time this year on Saturday, deserves the chance to reclaim the title immediately. He and Yan are the two best bantamweights in the world. They’re 1-1. Dvalishvili is 34 years old and Yan is 32, so any kind of delay favors the younger Yan, which doesn’t feel fair. Book the trilogy.
Wild card: O’Malley
A large portion of the UFC fanbase will flip out if O’Malley is Yan’s first title defense. I will say, I don’t think it’s likely, but no one should think it’s out of the question. O’Malley already owns a win over Yan, earning a split decision on the scorecards after a closely contested fight in October 2022.
Merab Dvalishvili, men’s bantamweight
Who should be next: Petr Yan
Dvalishvili tried to make history, by taking a risk many champions would never even consider. He put his championship on the line for what would have been a record-breaking fourth defense, had he been successful. It didn’t go his way, but the sport loves this stuff. MMA loves when champions, or anyone, goes for greatness. Not only is he deserving of an immediate rematch based on rankings, but also he’s deserving because of the risk he took as the champ.
Wild card: Winner of Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Deiveson Figueiredo on Jan. 24
If Nurmagomedov beats Figueiredo at UFC 324, I don’t love matching Dvalishvili with Nurmagomedov next, because Dvalishvili vs. Nurmagomedov feels like a title fight. Yan vs. Nurmagomedov also feels like a title fight. If Nurmagomedov wins in January, he should be fighting for a belt again. But the UFC books fights, and Dvalishvili likes to be active.
Joshua Van, men’s flyweight champion
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Joshua Van grabs victory after Alexandre Pantoja breaks arm
After champ Alexandre Pantoja breaks his arm, the co-main event is stopped and Joshua Van is champion.
Who should be next: Tatsuro Taira
The best answer here is Alexandre Pantoja, but the expectation is that Pantoja, who was injured in the first round of Saturday’s co-main event, won’t be available for the immediate future. That’s simply awful news for Pantoja, but this division is deep enough to move forward with super compelling matchups while Pantoja heals. Taira, who stopped former champion Brandon Moreno in the second round on Saturday, is another young talent who has flashed world-class skill. A title fight between two mid-20s phenoms would be intriguing.
Wild card: Manel Kape
If Kape beats Brandon Royval in the final main event of 2025 next week, especially if he does so convincingly, there’s a chance he could be in the title conversation. But even in Kape’s best-case scenario, it’s hard to see him jumping Taira. Kape has always been a dangerous dark horse in this division, and his time seems to be approaching. He has a championship-caliber skillset. He just needs to put it together consistently for an extended period of time. If the right dominoes were to fall his way and he beats former title challenger Royval on Dec. 13, it’s possible his next bout could be against Van.
Payton Talbott, men’s bantamweight
Who should be next: Cory Sandhagen
Sandhagen would represent a fast rise in competition for Talbott, but I’m all for that. Talbott had one hiccup at the beginning of this year, a decision loss to Raoni Barcelos, but he has completely put that behind him, especially after this win against Henry Cejudo on Saturday. The thing about Talbott is that he has it, man. He is fun, charismatic and confident. If the UFC wants to put him against another contender coming off a win, such as Aiemann Zahabi, I get it, but right now, Talbott is one of the more exciting prospects on the rise. Why not go for it with the matchmaking and see what he’s made of? Could Sandhagen be too much for him? Maybe. But even if that’s the case, he won’t lose too much steam with a loss. And a win would shoot him to the moon.
Wild card: Zahabi
If the UFC wants to go a more traditional route, Zahabi is a clear candidate.
Maycee Barber, women’s flyweight
Who should be next: Manon Fiorot
If any fighter has gone through her share of ups and downs, it’s Barber. She had injuries, canceled fights and early-career losses that threatened to derail her hype, but she’s in a good place, following this legitimate win over Karine Silva. Because it has been such a long road already, there is no reason I can find not to elevate Barber to the very top. She was already ranked No. 5 by the UFC coming into Saturday, and the No. 1 flyweight, Fiorot, needs a fight. She’s coming off a win over Jasmine Jasudavicius in October, but she’s not in title talks at the moment because of her loss to champion Valentina Shevchenko in May. This is an obvious matchup for both sides.
Wild card: Erin Blanchfield
I have to throw this matchup out there, but it’s highly unlikely. Blanchfield is well within her rights to turn it down after Barber pulled out of both their previously scheduled bouts — first in 2021 and then again in May. However, because of that, there is history, and it seems the fight will get booked again at some point.