merab-dvalishvili-cbs.jpg
Imagn Images

The UFC bantamweight championship will be on the line on Saturday when champion Merab Dvalishvili takes on Petr Yan at UFC 323: Dvalishvili vs. Yan 2. Dvalishvili defended his bantamweight title for a record third time with a unanimous decision win over Cory Sandhagen at UFC 320 on Oct. 4. Yan, meanwhile, is coming off a unanimous decision win over Marcus McGhee at UFC on ABC: Whittaker vs. de Ridder on July 26. The main card from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas is set to begin at 10 p.m. ET, with the early preliminaries getting underway at 6 p.m. ET, and the preliminaries at 8 p.m. ET.

Dvalishvili enters as the favorite at -195 (risk $195 to win $100), while Yan is the underdog at +195 in the latest UFC 323 odds at DraftKings Sportsbook. In the co-main event, defending champion Alexandre Pantoja is the -238 favorite against Joshua Van (+195) in a flyweight championship bout. Before locking in any UFC 323 picks, make sure you see the MMA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine expert Daniel Vithlani.

New users can target the DraftKings promo code, which offers $200 in bonus bets if your bet wins:

Vithlani is a highly-analytical UFC bettor who has been a consistent winner for SportsLine members since making his debut in January 2023 with a 5-0 record for UFC 283. In fact, he's up over $1,500 on his UFC main-card sports betting picks.

His other highlights include calling an upset for Sean O'Malley (+210) against Aljamain Sterling (-250) at UFC 292 as part of a 4-1 main card and his UFC 299 winners included underdog selections on Dustin Poirier (+190) against Benoit Saint Denis (-230) and Michael Page (+110) against Kevin Holland (-130). Anyone who has followed him at sportsbooks and on betting apps could be way up.

Now, Vithlani has studied Merab Dvalishvili vs. Petr Yan 2 from every angle and revealed his top betting picks and best bets. Head to SportsLine to see them. 

New users can also target the latest Underdog promo code, good for $100 in site credits when you play $5 with the promo code CBSSPORTS2 in select states.

Dvalishvili vs. Yan 2 preview 

Dvalishvili, 34, is on a 14-bout winning streak. He first won the UFC bantamweight title with a unanimous decision over Sean O'Malley at UFC 306 in September 2024. He then successfully defended his title with a unanimous decision win over Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 in January, and with a win by submission over O'Malley at UFC 316 in June. He then defeated Sandhagen. He is the first Georgian-born champion in UFC history.

In 25 career matches, he is 21-4 with three wins by knockout, two by submission and 16 by decision. Dvalishvili, a two-time Performance of the Night and two-time Fight of the Night performer, has registered the most wins by decision in UFC history. He also has the most takedowns landed in UFC history with 117. He is No. 3 in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings. Check out SportsLine to see his picks and analysis.

Yan, 32, has won three bouts in a row and is a one-time UFC interim bantamweight champion and is a one-time UFC bantamweight champ. He is a three-time Fight of the Night and one-time Performance of the Night winner. He is tied for the fourth-longest win streak in UFC bantamweight division history at seven. Yan also is tied for the third-most knockdowns in bantamweight history at 10.

He began his professional career in December 2014. After starting his career 8-1, he joined UFC in 2018, where he was the No. 5 Newcomer of the Year. In 2019, he was named a Top-10 Fighter of the Year. He is currently No. 3 in the UFC bantamweight rankings. You can only see his picks and analysis at SportsLine. 

Reminder: UFC on Paramount+ begins on Jan. 24, 2026. Sign up for Paramount+ with a free 7-day trial right here.

UFC 323: Dvalishvili vs. Yan 2 predictions

One of of Vithlani's UFC 323 picks: He's backing Chris Duncan (-165) to defeat Terrance McKinney (+140) in a lightweight matchup on the preliminary card.

"The odds for this matchup surprised me, as I expected Duncan to be a much wider favorite," Vithlani told SportsLine. "Duncan is on a three-fight win streak and is now 5-1 in the UFC. He's shown off a solid kickboxing game, a lethal squeeze on his chokeholds and great durability and determination. Duncan fights with a hard-nosed style and refuses to be denied even when the fight isn't going his way. McKinney is an explosive finisher who is always dangerous. In his 17-7 pro career, McKinney's fights have gone past the first round just twice. He has never fought to a decision and has been finished in all of his losses. McKinney's flying knees and rear-naked chokes could put Duncan in danger, but I believe Duncan's mentality and physicality will give him the edge. If Duncan lands a heavy counterpunch in traffic, McKinney might not stand back up." See who else to back here. 

You can make this pick at FanDuel, where new users can also check out the latest FanDuel promo code and get $150 in bonus bets instantly at FanDuel if your $5 bet wins. 

How to make UFC 323: Dvalishvili vs. Yan 2 picks

Vithlani has strong picks for Dvalishvili vs. Yan and other bouts on the UFC 323 card. He's also backing a fighter who "is the most savvy grappler in the division" to secure a massive victory. He's sharing who it is only at SportsLine.

Who wins UFC 323: Dvalishvili vs. Yan 2, and how exactly does the fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks and analysis from the incomparable expert who is up over $1,500 on his UFC main-card picks, and find out.

UFC 323: Dvalishvili vs. Yan 2 main fight card, odds 

See picks at SportsLine.
(Odds subject to change)
Merab Dvalishvili (-425) vs. Petr Yan (+325)
Alexandre Pantoja (-245) vs. Joshua Van (+200)
Brandon Moreno (+105) vs. Tatsuro Taira (-125)
Henry Cejudo (+225) vs. Payton Talbott (-275)
Jan Blachowicz (-135) vs. Bogdan Guskov (+115)