UFC returns to the Fight Capital of the World on Saturday night for the final numbered event of 2025 — and the last of the ESPN era. Before the promotion splits for Paramount in January, they’re closing this chapter with a grand finale: UFC 323, headlined by a bantamweight championship clash between reigning champ Merab Dvalishvili and former titleholder Petr Yan.
The bantamweight contenders first met without a belt on the line in March of 2023, where “The Machine” steamrolled the former champion on his way to a dominant 50-45 unanimous decision. While Yan (19-5) hasn’t lost since then, neither has Dvalishvili (21-4). In perhaps the most dominant run in bantamweight history, Merab captured the belt against Sean O’Malley last September and is now pushing for his fourth formidable title defense in the last calendar year.
It comes as no shock that the defending champ enters as a heavy -410 moneyline favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, while Yan is listed as a +320 underdog. The total is set at 4.5 rounds.
Betting Splits
Dvalishvili has dominated the betting action, capturing a whopping 91% of total bets and 87% of the handle, leading the UFC 323 main card in both metrics. Yan lags far behind as a massive underdog with just 9% of wagers and 13% of the handle.
Perhaps the betting activity is so lopsided because many fans feel they’ve already seen this fight before. Granted, their first bout was a long time ago. But as Merab seemingly upgrades with each formidable defense, how does Yan plan to reverse his fortunes this time around?
Odds for a finish are particularly long in this one, with Dvalishvili priced at +800 for a knockout and +700 for a submission. Yan sits at +900 for a knockout and +3500 for a submission.
