We’ve got four calls for the biggest clashes on the Las Vegas card.
The final UFC pay-per-view event of 2025 sees the Octagon return to the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for a fight night that features two title fights at the top of the card.
Headlining the card is a battle for the undisputed bantamweight title as reigning 135-pound champion Merab Dvalishvili takes on former champion Petr Yan in a rematch, while in the co-main, flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja puts his 125-pound title on the line against rising star Joshua Van.
Ahead of fight night in Vegas, our UFC tipster Simon Head picks out four fights to follow, and has selected a four-way Acca that includes both title fights, as well as two more must-see matchups from Saturday night’s card.
UFC 323 TIPS
Terrance McKinney v Chris Duncan – Chris Duncan by KO/TKO or submission
The first fight on our acca could well deliver the most violent finish of the night. Both men have fight-ending punch power, but the key difference between the pair is durability.
Scotland’s Chris Duncan is a man in form; he’s finished two of his last three fights by submission, and he has legitimate knockout power in his hands. He’s only lost twice in 16 pro bouts, and heads into Saturday night on a three-fight win streak, with seven victories from his last eight bouts.
On the flip side, none of McKinney’s 24 pro fights have gone the distance, and the American has a “live by the sword, die by the sword” approach that has seen him finish seven times, including five defeats by knockout.
Duncan has the power to give McKinney major trouble on the feet, and if he stuns the American, he has two clear paths to victory, with his submission game tight enough to get the job done on the mat. Backing Duncan to finish the fight by KO/TKO or submission keeps our options open in a fight the Scot should win.
Brandon Moreno vs Tatsuro Taira – Brandon Moreno to win
Japanese contender Tatsuro Taira has put together an impressive record, establishing himself as a dangerous flyweight. But in Brandon Moreno, he’s fighting someone who can be considered truly elite at 125 pounds.
Former world champion Moreno is as good as any fighter at flyweight, and has an outstanding combination of great boxing and scrambly jiu-jitsu that has taken him from being cut from the UFC to the undisputed flyweight title.
Now Moreno is on his way back to the top, and interestingly, is listed as the betting underdog for Saturday night’s fight with Taira. The Japanese talent is undoubtedly a star of the future, but Moreno is a bona fide title contender of the present, and we’re taking him to win the fight at odds against.
Alexandre Pantoja vs Joshua Van – Alexandre Pantoja to win by submission
The flyweight title fight sees defending champ Alexandre Pantoja look to register another successful title defence, and we’re taking him to do exactly that.
Joshua Van is exciting and dangerous, but he’s also inexperienced at the elite level. Incredibly, Van didn’t start his professional MMA career until 2021, and in the short time since, he’s fought his way to the top of the flyweight division. But this opportunity may have come a tad too early in his career.
Pantoja is dominant at the weight, and he has shown his brilliance in an eight-fight win streak that has seen him defeat a who’s who of the flyweight division’s best. His relentless approach and excellent mat skills should prevail in a submission victory.
Merab Dvalishvili vs Petr Yan – Merab Dvalishvili to win by Points
Can anybody beat Merab Dvalishvili at 135 pounds? That’s the big question heading into UFC 323, with the Georgian world champion looking as dominant a champion as you’ll find in the UFC right now.
On Saturday night, he takes on former world champion Petr Yan, who lost to Dvalishvili back in 2023 in a fight his camp said he took while injured. Since that defeat, he’s won three in a row to earn his shot at the belt and a rematch with Dvalishvili.
Yan is the more well-rounded fighter, but Dvalishvili’s big weapon is his cardio. He relentlessly attacks his opponents with takedowns until he gets them to the mat, then dominates them from top position. It means that if Yan can’t keep Dvalishvili off him, he’s in for a long night.
That’s how it’s been for most of Dvalishvili’s opponents over the past few years. While Yan remains one of the top bantamweights on the planet, it’s impossible to take him to win against Dvalishvili, with a bet on the Georgian to get the victory on the scorecards the best bet here.
UFC 323 TIPS
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