4 Fights We Need to See After UFC 323

Nobody is unbeatable.

Merab Dvalishvili, one of the most dominant forces in recent MMA history, learned that the hard way in the main event of Saturday's UFC 323 card in Las Vegas.

After three bantamweight title defenses in the span of a year, his reign came to a halt with a decision loss to Petr Yan.

Yan, a former champ, had lost to Dvalishvili before, but this time around, he delivered a perfect performance to reclaim the throne.

And whether it's a tiebreaker with Dvalishvili or a clash with another contender next, he has cracked the division wide open.

We had a similar shakeup at flyweight in the UFC 323 co-main event, albeit under terrible circumstances. Alexandre Pantoja attempted to defend his flyweight title for a fifth time opposite surging contender Joshua Van, but the champ wrecked his arm in less than 30 seconds.

Fluke or not, it resulted in a TKO loss for the longtime titleholder, and the beginning of Van's reign. The big question now is what happens from here, as Pantoja deserves a do-over but will presumably be out of action for months.

Outside the title fights, the biggest winners on the UFC 323 lineup were Japanese flyweight Tatsuro Taira, who asserted himself as his division's top contender with a dramatic stoppage of former champ Brandon Moreno, and bantamweight prospect Payton Talbott, who became a contender himself with an exciting decision win over retiring legend Henry Cejudo. Both men can expect huge challenges next time out.

These are the fights we'd like to see next for Yan, Van, Taira and Talbott when the dust has settled.

Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili III

Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

It's always exciting when a new champion replaces a longstanding one, as it typically opens the door to a bunch of fresh matchups atop the division.

However, new bantamweight king Petr Yan should run it back with Merab Dvalishvili before he sets his sights on anybody else.

Yan's win over Dvalishvili on Saturday was quite decisive. He significantly outlanded the Georgian grappler, crushing his nose and bloodying his face in the process. That alone likely would have been enough to win the Russian the title, but he still mixed in a handful of well-timed takedowns for good measure.

Despite being fairly in control of the fight for all five rounds, Yan owes Dvalishvili a third fight. The Georgian-American won just as decisively in their first meeting, and after three title defenses since January, he has earned the opportunity to right his wrong.

It won't be a travesty if Dvalishvili doesn't get a rematch right away—we're not talking about Georges St-Pierre or Anderson Silva here—but he should get the opportunity. It's not like there's a clear-cut No. 1 contender awaiting the opportunity, so let's complete the trilogy, and the bantamweight division can push on after that.

Joshua Van vs. Tatsuro Taira

Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Had Alexander Pantoja lost the flyweight title to Joshua Van via decision or even a typical stoppage, he would almost certainly be looking at an immediate rematch with the new champ right now.

Unfortunately, he lost the fight due to a terrible arm injury, which is likely going to keep him on the sidelines for some time. So, unless the UFC intends to freeze the entire flyweight division for months, Van will likely be defending the belt against somebody else before Pantoja gets a chance for redemption.

If that's the case, Tatsuro Taira is the obvious choice. The Japanese fighter's impressive UFC 323 stoppage of former champ Brandon Moreno pushed him to an amazing 18-1 overall.

The 25-year-old was beaten by Brandon Royval last year, but that was a split decision, and he is now riding back-to-back wins, having tapped out Hyun Sung Park before beating Moreno.

UFC President Dana White has already floated a Van vs. Taira fight, even revealing at Saturday's post-fight press conference that it could headline the promotion's long overdue return to Japan.

Given Van's Burmese heritage, it could also make a great main event for a UFC card in Singapore, which is not far from Myanmar.

Wherever it happens, it's the fight to make if Pantoja isn't going to be available soon. This division is too hot to let it cool off.

Payton Talbott vs. Cory Sandhagen

Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

It took 15 minutes in the Octagon with Henry Cejudo for Payton Talbott to transform from a promising prospect to a legitimate title contender at bantamweight.

His decision victory over Cejudo was extremely impressive, as he showed off incredibly crisp striking as always, and even took the former two-division champ down a few times.

After the fact, there is no question he is an elite talent at 135 pounds, and we can expect that to be reflected with a spot in the division's top 15 when the rankings are updated this week.

As a new arrival in the top 15, Talbott has a ton of fresh and compelling matchups at his fingertips. That could mean a fight with a veteran such as Marlon "Chito" Vera or another rising contender like Aiemann Zahabi, but he seems ready for a fast track.

After his win over Cejudo, there doesn't seem to be any reason to hold him back.

So, let's go right for a fight with recent title challenger Cory Sandhagen.

To be honest, I would rather see both Sandhagen and Talbott fight former champ Sean O'Malley next, but with O'Malley tied up with a fight with Song Yadong, it seems suitable to pit them against each other.

They're both incredibly smooth strikers, and have both shown they can grapple too. There's no question it's a massive test for Talbott, but it's a fantastic matchup on paper, and it makes sense, with a new contender riding a big win and Sandhagen riding a decisive loss to Dvalishvili.

Jan Blachowicz vs. Bogdan Guskov

Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

We've already covered the most meaningful matchups on the UFC 323 bill, but it would be wrong not to mention Jan Blachowicz and Bogdan Guskov's draw in the main card opener.

Blachowicz, a former light heavyweight champ, and Guskov, a knockout artist with a ton of momentum behind him, went back and forth for three entertaining rounds. Unfortunately, the fight was so close that it ultimately ended in a way that neither competitor nor the fans wanted.

After the fact, it only makes sense to have them run it back. It's not a fight anybody is dying for, but neither guy really has any better options at the moment, and it would be nice to see a more decisive outcome.

Despite the inconclusive result of their first fight, the winner would be among the top contenders at light heavyweight—a somewhat stale division that needs all the contenders it can get.