UFC Matchmaking After UFC 323: Yan vs Dvalishvili Trilogy?

Sportz Nation Staff
4 hours ago
7 min read

by Zak Drapeau and Matt Hylen

12/10/2025

Sportz Nation

Zak's Picks

Petr Yan vs

Merab Dvalishvili 3

(Bantamweight Championship)

Photo by Chris Unger/ Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

If any former champion deserves an immediate rematch, it's Merab, and I believe he'll get it. Whether their trilogy concludes in the first half of 2026 or at the White House card is up for debate. Due to the lack of drawing power either of these men has, I can actually see this fight being before the card, potentially even the card before to set the stage for the Supercard.

In the trilogy fight, I believe we'll see more of the same that we saw in the first two. 13-of-78 is Merab's total takedowns and takedown attempts so far and shows just how well Petr Yan prepared for this fight. If Yan can stuff the takedowns and not be dominated by the clinch, he clearly has the boxing advantage and could steal another one.

Joshua Van vs

Tatsuro Taira

(Flyweight Championship)

Joshua Van is now the second-youngest UFC Champion in history and likely will find a challenger other than Pantoja for his first defense while the former champion recovers from elbow surgery. Since he won on the same card as Van, I think Tatsuro Taira would be the best challenger.

In what would be the first UFC Championship fight between two people 26 and younger, Taira has earned his title shot by stopping his opponent in 6 of his 8 UFC wins.

A matchup between these well-rounded yet vicious 20-year-olds would be one for the ages in the Flyweight division. Even though Joshua Van dethroned the great Pantoja, I think Taira's time is coming and this fight would see another championship changing hands.

Alexandre Pantoja

vs Whoever's Champion

Just like Merab, Alexandre Pantoja deserves an immediate rematch for his belt, but he will have to wait a lot longer after breaking his elbow. He is likely not to return to the octagon until late 2026 or more likely 2027. Pantoja is likely to jump the line to #1 contender as soon as he is healthy enough to compete.

Brandon Moreno vs

Asu Almabayev

Another flyweight matchup to talk about, and this one is much more interesting than you might think. To be honest, this may be Brandon Moreno's final chance to continue being a top contender.

After Almabayev choked out Alex Perez last month, he is ready for a Top-5 fight, and Moreno should be ready for the challenge. I don't know what to expect in this fight, but mad scrambles and lightning-fast strikes should make it highly competitive until the last bell.

Jan Blachowicz vs

Bogdan Guskov 2

In what should be Blachowicz's last fight before retirement, the former champion should run it back with Guskov after their draw at 323. Guskov has a bright future in the division and should be in the top 10 for a few more years. With his future in the division riding on such a massive rematch, he should want Blachowicz again to get a former champion under his belt.

Blachowicz will be 43 years old in February and can't have many more fights in him. An up-and-comer like Guskov will be the perfect send-off for Polish Power. Likely to happen in the spring of 2026, this fight should see Guskov make the right adjustments to get the win the second time around.

Fares Ziam vs

Manuel Torres

Both men had knockout wins at 323 this weekend and are on the cusp of making the Top 15 in the lightweight division, so it'd be perfect timing to make a Top 15 gatekeeping matchup between the two.

Torres has won 6 of his last 7, and Ziam is on a 6-fight win streak. Both men are 30 or younger and are looking to make noise in the rankings very soon. With Ziam being a more grapple-heavy fighter compared to Torres' boxing style, this fight could go anywhere, but I do see Torres landing a few heavy blows and being able to keep Ziam off of him for the most part.

Brunno Ferreira vs

Jared Cannonier

Photo by Stephen R. Sylvanie/ Imagn Images

Bruno Ferreira's win over Marvin Vettori means he should be the #16 fighter in the division after Joe Pyfer was given a number ahead of him. For my money, that means his next fight needs to be in the Top-15, and Jared Cannonier would be the perfect dance partner.

Cannonier may be on the wrong end of 41, but his hands are still as lethal as ever. He would be the perfect matchup as well, with both men exchanging haymaker after haymaker until one falls. It seems likely this will be Ferreira's coming-out party and close to, if not the ultimate end for Cannonier.

Matt's Picks

Petr Yan vs Winner of Sean O'Malley/Song Yadong

Petr Yan was perfect in his 2nd fight against Merab Dvalishvili. He did everything he needed to do to get inside Merab's head, while figuring out what Merab's weakness was. His shots to the body were absolutely devastating, causing Merab's takedown attempts to be lackluster at best. This version of Petr Yan is what we all thought he could be.

So, I would love to see Yan make his first defense against the winner of Sean O'Malley and Song Yadong. Both O'Malley and Yadong are extremely talented strikers that could give Yan a huge test before an inevitable trilogy fight with Dvalishvili.

Merab Dvalishvilli vs Champ

The main reason why I don't have this matchup being Yan's first title defense is due to my belief that Merab should take some time off. What he accomplished in 2025 was nothing short of legendary, but he showed he is human against Yan. He tried to do the unthinkable and came up just short. So, if I were Merab, I would let the body heal, take some time to rest and regroup, then come back towards the springtime (White House card maybe?) and fight for the belt again.

Joshua Van vs Tatsuro Taira

Is it the way Joshua Van would have liked to win the belt? Definitely not, but he is the champ nonetheless. With that said, with no timeline on Pantoja's return, Van will likely have to make at least one defense before getting a rematch with the former champ. Tatsuro Taira is the perfect matchup for Van; if Van can defend against the aggressive grappling nature of Taira and defend the belt, the respect he will earn when rematching Pantoja will be a lot higher than before.

As for Taira, he deserves a title shot more than anyone in the division currently. To beat a division legend in Brandon Moreno in the dominant way in which he did should have him demanding no less than a bout against Van. He is a wizard on the ground, which will provide not only Van with a test, but a test to see if he can get one of the best strikers in the division on the ground.

Alexandre Pantoja vs Champ

Similar to what Zak said, Pantoja will get a chance to regain his title once he returns. With his timeline unknown, it's hard to say who will have the belt at that time, but that should not matter. Pantoja is one of the best champions the UFC has ever had and should be treated as such when he returns from that gruesome injury.

Branden Moreno vs Kyoji Horiguchi

It was a tough fight for Brandon Moreno, as he just could not get anything going. He got dominated on the ground once Taira got the better position, with no real chance of escaping. With that said, I do not think he is out of the title picture entirely.

I would give Moreno a chance to redeem himself against Kyoji Horiguchi. Though Horiguchi was fantastic in his UFC return, I think the UFC needs to pump the brakes a little on the fast-tracking and give him one more fight before a title. Moreno is that perfect stopgap for Horiguchi. It also gives Moreno one last opportunity to prove his value at the top of the division. This would be a do-or-die fight for both parties, making the stakes all the more intriguing.

Payton Talbott vs Mario Bautista

Photo Credit to Jeff Bottari via Getty Images

Payton Talbott has completely turned his UFC career around. He looks like a completely different fighter since his last loss. He is the complete fighter that everyone believed he could be on the feet as well as on the ground. This version of Payton Talbott is here to stay and should scare the rest of the Bantamweight division.

So, I would give Talbott another test against arguably one of the more balanced fighters in the division, Mario Bautista. Bautista has been on the short end of some incredible fights, with the results of them a toss-up. This sort of test for Talbott would allow him to cement himself as a championship contender, possibly fighting in a championship eliminator if he were to defeat Bautista.

Maycee Barber vs Manon Fiorot

Photo Credit to Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

After an emotional return to the Octagon, Maycee Barber is back and looked fantastic. She fought through every step of adversity Karine Silva threw her way and got the job done. The scary part was that I felt the 27-year-old even looked a bit rusty, so the potential for improvement is tremendous.

This fight should put Barber exactly where she was prior to her main event cancellation due to her medical condition. With Natalia Silva and Erin Blanchfield being the next two likely title options for the UFC, I think a title eliminator between Barber and Fiorot could be what both fighters need. People are forgetting just how good Barber and Fiorot are, so putting them in the octagon together would be the perfect reminder for fans and the UFC alike in my eyes.

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