The UFC has officially confirmed a heavyweight showdown between rising star Iwo Baraniewski and Turkish knockout artist Ibo Aslan for UFC 323, set to take place on December 6, 2025, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The bout represents a significant test for both fighters as they look to establish themselves in the light heavyweight division's increasingly competitive landscape.​

UFC 323 marks the final pay-per-view event under the promotion's current ESPN broadcast partnership before transitioning to a new media deal with Paramount Skydance in 2026, ending the pay-per-view model that has defined the sport for decades. The historic card features 14 total bouts, including two championship fights, with the Aslan-Baraniewski matchup adding to an already loaded lineup that showcases the depth of talent across multiple weight classes.​

Rising Polish Prospect Faces Turkish Power

Iwo Baraniewski enters UFC 323 riding an impressive wave of momentum after earning his UFC contract with one of the most spectacular performances in Dana White's Contender Series history. The 26-year-old Polish prospect stunned observers at DWCS 82 in September 2025 by delivering a devastating 20-second knockout of Mahamed Aly—the fifth-fastest finish in the show's history—despite entering as the biggest betting underdog on the entire card.​​

The undefeated Baraniewski (6-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) brings a unique skill set to the octagon, boasting an accomplished judo background that includes winning the European MMA Championships in 2024. However, his DWCS performance revealed a striking prowess that caught even his own fans by surprise, as he elected to keep the fight standing and knocked out Aly with a perfectly timed overhand right rather than showcasing his grappling credentials.​

“We have plan to fight in boxing, we planned to knock him out,” Baraniewski revealed during his post-fight media appearance. “That was the plan”. The Polish fighter's ability to finish fights has been consistent throughout his career, with victories over Kamil Stachura, Sylwester Borys, and Cemey dos Santos all coming by stoppage.​

Aslan Looks to Rebound from Recent Struggles

Ibo “The Last Ottoman” Aslan presents a formidable challenge for the UFC newcomer, bringing both experience and explosive finishing ability to the matchup. The 29-year-old Austrian-based Turkish fighter holds an overall professional record of 14-3 and has established himself as one of the division's most dangerous knockout artists.​

Aslan's UFC journey began with tremendous promise after earning his contract via DWCS in August 2023 with a first-round TKO of Paulo Renato Jr. He continued his momentum with impressive stoppage victories over Anton Turkalj and Rafael Cerqueira, with the latter bout ending in just 51 seconds at UFC 308 in October 2024. His devastating power earned him 14 career knockout victories, with all of his professional wins coming by way of finish.​

However, recent setbacks have raised questions about Aslan's ability to compete at the highest level. He suffered a submission loss to Ion Cutelaba at UFC Fight Night 252 in February 2025, getting caught in an arm-triangle choke in the first round. He followed that with a unanimous decision loss to Billy Elekana at UFC on ABC 9 in July 2025, marking his first career defeat that went the distance. The Baraniewski bout represents a crucial opportunity for Aslan to prove he belongs among the elite light heavyweights.​

UFC 323 Complete Fight Card

UFC 323 features a remarkable collection of talent across 14 confirmed matchups that promise fireworks from top to bottom. The event showcases the promotion's commitment to delivering a spectacular finale to the ESPN pay-per-view era.​

Merab Dvalishvili vs. Petr Yan (UFC Bantamweight Championship) – The main event features champion Dvalishvili attempting to make history as the first UFC fighter to successfully defend a title four times in a single calendar year. Dvalishvili won their first meeting via dominant unanimous decision in March 2023, and the rematch promises fireworks as Yan looks for redemption.​

Alexandre Pantoja vs. Joshua Van (UFC Flyweight Championship) – Pantoja puts his title on the line against the surging 23-year-old contender from Myanmar, who has won five consecutive fights and looks to become one of the youngest champions in UFC history.​

Jan Błachowicz vs. Bogdan Guskov (Light Heavyweight) – Former champion Błachowicz seeks to snap a three-fight winless streak against rising Uzbek contender Guskov, who has won four straight fights, all by stoppage.​

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Brandon Moreno vs. Tatsuro Taira (Flyweight) – Former two-time champion Moreno battles Japanese prospect Taira in a potential title eliminator, with both fighters looking to position themselves for another championship opportunity.​

Muhammad Naimov vs. Mairon Santos (Featherweight) – An intriguing matchup between two talented featherweight contenders.​

Henry Cejudo vs. Payton Talbott (Bantamweight) – Former two-division champion Cejudo, riding a three-fight losing streak, faces surging prospect Talbott in what could be “Triple C's” final octagon appearance.​​

Marvin Vettori vs. Brunno Ferreira (Middleweight) – Former title challenger Vettori looks to halt a two-fight skid against dangerous finisher Ferreira in a must-win scenario for the Italian veteran.​

Maycee Barber vs. Karine Silva (Women's Flyweight) – The fifth-ranked Barber returns after suffering a medical emergency before her scheduled May bout, facing ninth-ranked Silva in a pivotal flyweight matchup.​

Edson Barboza vs. Jalin Turner (Lightweight) – UFC veteran Barboza faces Turner, who recently came out of retirement after announcing he was stepping away from the sport following a loss in March.​

Iwo Baraniewski vs. Ibo Aslan (Heavyweight) – The featured light heavyweight bout between the undefeated Polish prospect and Turkish knockout artist.​

Grant Dawson vs. Manuel Torres (Lightweight) – A competitive lightweight matchup between two fighters looking to climb the rankings.​

Terrance McKinney vs. Chris Duncan (Lightweight) – Another exciting lightweight bout that was originally scheduled for 2023 but was postponed due to visa issues.​

Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Antonio Trócoli (Middleweight) – This rescheduled middleweight clash was initially set for February but moved to UFC 323.​

Nazim Sadykhov vs. Farès Ziam (Lightweight) – Rounding out the card is this intriguing lightweight contest.​

The December 6 event at T-Mobile Arena represents a significant moment in UFC history as the promotion closes out the ESPN pay-per-view era with one of the most stacked cards of 2025. With two title fights anchoring the main card and compelling matchups throughout, UFC 323 promises to deliver the kind of action-packed entertainment that has defined the sport's greatest events. For Baraniewski and Aslan, the stakes couldn't be higher as they look to make their mark in a light heavyweight division ripe with opportunity.​