The final pay-per-view event of the ESPN era, UFC 323, goes down this next weekend. Headlined by two extraordinary title matches, along with a bevy of entertaining contender bouts, the card boasts a reliable lineup of incredible matchups from top to bottom. There also exists quite a few underdogs that are attempting to accomplish some amazing feats, and earn betters some solid holiday spending money with Pulsz sister casinos, including one young bantamweight trying to best a former two-division world champion. As the holiday season looms on the very distant horizon, these individuals will endeavor to give UFC fans the splendid gift of a monumental upset as 2025 nears its end.
Here are three underdog bouts that you need to look out for at UFC 323.
UFC 323: Payton Talbott vs. Henry Cejudo
Standing as one of the hottest prospects in the bantamweight division in the world, Payton Talbott bounced back in incredible fashion at UFC 317 earlier this year after suffering his first professional defeat. In front of nearly 20,000 fans, the 27-year old bested fellow young up-and-comer Felipe Lima, handedly defeating the Brazilian on the scorecards.
Embed from Getty Images
While many would expect him to continue his progression up the 135-lb rankings by steadily building his experience taking on competition outside the rankings, Talbott is now set to tangle with current number 10-ranked fighter Henry Cejudo at UFC 323.
Regarded as one of, if not the greatest, male combat sports athlete of all time, Cejudo etched his name into the annals of the sport’s history by becoming the seventh individual to become a two-division champion in the UFC. Entering a three-year retirement in 2020, “Triple C” made his return to the cage at UFC 288, where he lost in a bid for his former strap against then incumbent Aljamain Sterling. He has since lost twice more, dropping a pair of matches to future bantamweight king Merab Dvalishvili and Song Yadong.
For Talbott, his tilt with Cejudo marks a serious step up in competition, as will be the first man he has ever shared the Octagon with that has a number next to his name. It also brings a style that he has struggled with in the past, and that is a grappling-heavy approach from his opponent. As witnessed in his confrontation with Raoni Barcelos, the first man to beat him, Talbott had a hard time dealing with the Jiu-Jitsu of the veteran, getting taken down eight times. Considering Cejudo’s background as an Olympic standout in wrestling, the Nevada native could be in for a long night in the T-Mobile Arena.
What Talbott does have going for him, though, is that he possesses a serious advantage in terms of physical differences. In height alone, he holds a massive six inch lead over the previous title-holder, along with a two-and-a-half reach edge. The wrestling will undoubtedly give Talbott, but if he can manage to keep Cejudo at the end of his striking distance and keep himself up over his shorter adversary, then fans may just be in for a monumental upset at UFC 323.
UFC 323: Alexandre Pantoja vs. Joshua Van
In the span of exactly three weeks this past summer, flyweight juggernaut Joshua Van put on two astounding back-to-back performances. Following a third round dispatch of Bruno Silva at UFC 316, the 24-year old quickly booked his next fight for International Fight Week at UFC 317. Earning himself a main card appearance, “The Fearless” met one-time company championship challenger Brandon Royval. What followed was easily one of the most entertaining bouts the division has ever seen, with Van netting a close unanimous decision victory, but not before both men threw over 200 significant blows each.
Also fighting at the event was 125-lb gold standard Alexandre Pantoja, who notched his fourth title defense by tapping out New Zealander Kai Kara-France. Almost immediately after the contest, Van was brought in to face off with “The Cannibal,” with the champion and the challenger looking more than eager to battle right then and there.
Setting himself apart from the pack at flyweight in the timeframe of less than a month, Van has risen to become not just a top contender, but also a folk hero among mixed martial arts fans around the world. Undefeated in his last five, the 4oz. Fight Club product seeks to cap off a wholly amazing 2025 by getting UFC gold wrapped around his waist.
Pantoja will not make it easy for him, however, as the Brazilian is riding a long trip in the winner’s circle himself, with him not having lost a tilt since July 2020. He also has noticeably gotten even better each time he defends his strap, proven by his impeccable triumphs over Brandon Moreno to secure the belt, Royval, Steve Erceg and Kai Asakura. He also has only ever been dropped to the canvas just once in his 17 expeditions to the Octagon, demonstrating a very resilient chin.
Although he is outmatched in terms of experience, Van has one weapon in his arsenal that could make Pantoja’s fifth outing as champion a hellish one: his output. In six of nine fights with the organization, he has landed over a 100 significant strikes, a feat that has garnered him such accomplishments as the highest significant strikes landed per minute in UFC history at 8.86. With his seemingly unending gas tank, Van can overwhelm Pantoja with non-stop offense at UFC 323, though it is still unknown at this time if he can keep that pace up for five whole rounds.
UFC 323: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Petr Yan
Working his way back into the championship picture with three straight victories over Song Yadong, Deiveson Figueiredo and Marcus McGhee, Petr Yan now stands but a mere punch away from regaining his throne atop the bantamweight class that he sat upon for a brief period of time. Residing between him and the belt is none other than one of the best pound-for-pound competitors on the planet, and current 135-lb ruler Merab Dvalishvili. This will not be the first time that the two men have locked horns, as the Georgian sensation has already trounced the Russian once previously back in 2023 UFC Fight Night 221.
On that night in Vegas at the Apex Center, the stats for their initial collision told a tale of utter dominance from Dvalishvili, with him attempting 49 takedowns, landing 11 of them. He also positively dwarfed “No Mercy” in the standup department, accruing 202 total strikes to his fellow European’s 87. By the time the scorecards were read, Yan’s face looked noticeably battered, leaving no doubt before the announcement who the victor was.
Going on to acquire the strap himself in late 2024 at UFC 306, Dvalishvili has appeared to be nigh unstoppable, defending his title three times this year, taking out a trio of heavy-hitters in Umar Nurmagomedov, Sean O’Malley in a rematch and Cory Sandhagen. Unwilling to take his foot off the gas pedal at any point in his contests, the wrestling phenom has left his challengers drowning with unrelenting pressure. If “The Machine” can manage to conquer his old foe in their upcoming runback, then he will cement his legacy as an all-time great by becoming the first UFC champion to defend his/her title four times in a calendar year.
At UFC 323, Yan is also on a mission to write himself into the history books as only the third man to score the bantamweight championship twice, behind only Dominick Cruz and T.J. Dillashaw. While the threat of the takedown looms large over the underdog, “No Mercy” is by no means horribly outclassed against the champion. Boasting some of the best kickboxing in the entire division, he is currently tied with Cody Garbrandt for the third-most knockdowns in bantamweight history. Delivering a clean shot may prove difficult, but in the blink of an eye, the Russian could bring to a devastating end the most spectacular championship dynasty the division has ever seen.
