The UFC held its closing pay-per-view card of the 12 months on Saturday with promotion UFC 323 in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the principle occasion, Merab Dvalishvili defended his bantamweight title in a rematch with Petr Yan. Within the co-main occasion, Alexandre Pantoja defended his flyweight strap in opposition to Joshua Bunn.
Ultimately, it was Yan who pulled off the upset, overwhelming Dvalishvili in all 5 rounds and regaining the bantamweight title with a lopsided determination victory. In the meantime, Pantoja injured his arm lower than a minute into the match, making Vann the brand new flyweight champion.
Following UFC 323, this is what I feel the celebs of the occasion ought to do subsequent.
petr yan
Petr Yan suffered a blowout loss within the title struggle at UFC 323 simply two years in the past as he was dominated by Dvalishvili. Nonetheless, the Russian put up an excellent struggle, defending takedowns and conserving Dvalishvili on his toes. It was an awesome efficiency from Yan, who regained the belt after shedding it in 2020.
Yan and Dvalishvili are 1-1, however they want one win and two losses, so there will not be one other three-fight sequence. Yan’s first title protection might be in opposition to Umar Nurmagomedov if he wins at UFC 324. If Deiveson Figueiredo pulls off the upset, the winner of Sean O’Malley vs. Son Yadong will possible take the struggle.
Merab Dvalishvili
Merab Dvalishvili was trying to defend his bantamweight title for the fourth time this 12 months, however fell brief. He struggled to take Yan down and ended up getting crossed legs, nevertheless it was a lopsided consequence for him.
Dvalishvili most likely wants another win to have a shot on the title, however it should take time. The plain subsequent struggle is in opposition to fellow title contender Ayeman Zahavi. The winner of that match ought to have the ability to struggle for the title.
Joshua Vann
On Saturday, Joshua Bunn turned the UFC’s new flyweight champion after Alexandre Pantoja suffered an arm damage early within the struggle. Regardless of his disappointing outcomes, Vann turned the primary UFC champion born within the 2000s.
Pantoja was a long-time champion, however he’ll possible stay sidelined resulting from damage, so Vann does not want a rematch with him. As a substitute, Vann’s first title protection might be in opposition to Tatsuro Hira, who had a giant win over Brandon Moreno on this card.
alexandre pantoja
Alexandre Pantoja misplaced his flyweight title to damage on Saturday. This was going to be an excellent take a look at for the Brazilians and we did not get to see a lot of the match, so it was a disappointing consequence.
Pantoja will want a while off to get well, however even when Vann has a struggle in between, he may very well be eligible for a title struggle as soon as he is wholesome. Nonetheless, Pantoja ought to face the winner of Manel Cape vs. Brandon Roybal someday within the spring, and the winner ought to get a shot on the title.
