The final pay-per-view of both the year and the ESPN era delivered standout moments and several surprising outcomes. Two new champions were crowned, and a number of potential contenders were put on alert as fans at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas witnessed one of the most entertaining events of the year.
Here’s a look at what could be next for the biggest winners from UFC 323.
Petr Yan
Despite entering Saturday night as a sizable underdog, Petr Yan (20-5 MMA, 12-4 UFC) delivered the performance of 2025, dethroning Merab Dvalishvili in the main event.
Yan dominated the Georgian standout for 25 minutes, shutting down “The Machine” in every phase of the fight to reclaim the UFC bantamweight title 1,337 days after losing it by disqualification against Dvalishvili’s close teammate Aljamain Sterling at UFC 273.
With the belt back around his waist, Yan now becomes the hunted. While few fighters deserve an immediate rematch more than Dvalishvili, Yan’s victory has reignited the hopes of contenders that Merab previously shut out. Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov are right back in the mix, but one name stands above the rest.
Sean O’Malley (18-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) edged Yan in a three-round battle en route to earning his first title shot in 2022. If Dvalishvili opts for a well-earned break after a grueling year, the timing could work perfectly for Yan to pursue revenge against “Sugar.”
Joshua Van
One moment of brutal misfortune changed the entire landscape of the co-main event. Alexandre Pantoja’s dominant flyweight reign ended abruptly with a gruesome arm injury, crowning 24-year-old Joshua Van (16-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) as the new king at 125 pounds.
Pantoja has built a résumé worthy of an immediate rematch, but if “The Cannibal” needs time to recover, his teammate Kyoji Horiguchi (35-5 MMA, 8-1 UFC) may be the biggest beneficiary of the setback.
With Dana White confirming at Saturday’s post-fight press conference that the UFC plans to return to Japan in 2026, the timing could be ideal for the former RIZIN champion and UFC flyweight challenger to step into a title opportunity.
Tatsuro Taira
If the UFC does make its long-awaited return to Japan next year, expect Tatsuro Taira to be front and center as he continues his push toward a flyweight title shot.
Taira (18-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) secured the biggest win of his career on Saturday by finishing former champion Brandon Moreno and officially inserting himself into the title conversation. While the stoppage by referee Mark Smyth was debatable, Taira’s skill and composure are undeniable.
If he’s passed over for the next title shot, the Japanese star could find himself facing Manel Kape (21-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC), assuming “Starboy” gets past Brandon Royval at the UFC Apex this Saturday.
Payton Talbott
Some fans are calling for Payton Talbott (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) to face No. 7-ranked Aiemann Zahabi after his breakout performance against Henry Cejudo, but there’s no need to rush the rising star into the top tier of the bantamweight division just yet.
Talbott will likely appear in the top 15 when the new rankings are released this week, and a matchup with No. 15-ranked Marcus McGhee (10-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) would offer an exciting stylistic test for his next outing.
