What do you think about the UFC 323 card? Well, if we look at the main card, only one word truly justifies the feeling: “Banger”! We have Merab Dvalishvili chasing greatness in the rematch against Petr Yan as he looks to become the first fighter in UFC history to defend a title four times in a single year. Then, Alexandre Pantoja comes back to put his belt on the line for the 5th time in his career and stop Joshua Van from becoming the 2nd youngest fighter since Jon Jones. And that’s just the headliners.  

The takes even get more amplified in the main card. Henry Cejudo’s retirement fight against Payton Talbott comes next, followed by a highly anticipated flyweight showdown between Brandon Moreno and Tatsuro Taira. Raising the bar higher, former light heavyweight champ Jan Blachowicz opens the main card against Bogdan Guskov, who carries a 100% finish rate. So, looking at these high-stakes fights, it’s fair to say the UFC has put together an awesome card to send off this year’s and the ESPN era’s last PPV event. But it’s not just the main card that’s getting some love.

Even the prelims and early prelims come stacked with real barn burners that are sure to grab attention. Now, as we get closer to watching these fights unfold inside the Octagon, let’s take you to some of the sleeper fights you wouldn’t want to miss at UFC 323. 

1. Marvin Vettori  vs. Brunno Ferreira  

If we are talking about the sleeper fights at this weekend’s spectacle, Marvin Vettori and Brunno Ferreira’s matchup needs to be mentioned. Also, there’s a reason why this fight gets the top position in this list. The Italian has proven to be one of the most exciting middleweights on the UFC roster with his uncrackable chin and forward-moving fighting style. Even if Vettori eats over a hundred significant strikes, he just never stops coming forward.

Although ‘The Italian Dream’ has proven that multiple times in his career, he showed massive heart in his last fight against Brendan Allen. At their UFC 318 grudge match, Vettori put on a show against Allen, and although he lost that fight, their scrap earned a Fight of the Night bonus from Dana White. However, his opponent, Brunno Ferreira, isn’t far behind either.

In his 16 career fights, the Brazilian has stacked 8 wins via KO and 7 via submission, and he has never gone to a decision. Some fans are even picking him to KO Vettori for the first time in the UFC. Ferreira indeed missed weight by 3 pounds at the UFC 323 weigh-in, but the fight is still on. 

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2. Edson Barboza  vs. Jalin Turner  

Next in the list comes the showdown of two veteran lightweights at the UFC 323 prelims. Or, to be more precise, a legend vs a veteran. Edson Barboza, in his illustrious UFC career, has never won a belt. However, Barboza’s knockout highlights claimed a special place in the fans’ hearts. But, currently, the Brazilian sits on a 2-fight losing streak and looks to make a strong comeback, and he has the perfect dance partner to share the Octagon with: Jalin Turner.

‘The Tarantula’ announced his retirement after losing to Ignacio Bahamondes at UFC 313. However, his love for martial arts runs too deep, so he decided to break that retirement and return at UFC 323 to face the Brazilian legend in a highly anticipated lightweight showdown. Now, why does this fight make a total banger? It’s because both fighters are among the most skilled strikers on the UFC roster.

We don’t need any explanation about Edson Barboza, as his recent fights against Billy Quarantillo and Shane Burgos speak for themselves. On the flipside, Jalin Turner’s scrap with Dan Hooker and his knockout of King Green have always made him an exciting lightweight to watch. 

3. Grant Dawson vs. Manuel Torres  

Another massive lightweight showdown might be flying under the radar a bit too much. As part of the new wave of exciting UFC 155ers, Manuel Torres has emerged as the Mexican contender who loves putting on a show every time he steps inside the Octagon.

In his UFC career so far, Torres has grabbed 4 performance bonuses for his finishes over Frank Camacho, Nicholas Motta, Chris Duncan, and his recent win over Drew Dober. So as we can see, when it comes to excitement, ‘El Loco’ delivers, and his opponent isn’t miles away either.

Grant Dawson enters this fight on a 3-fight winning streak, and his last loss came against King Green in 2023. On top of that, he holds 13 career submission victories, so Torres needs to be a little careful dealing with him on the mat, as a cheeky submission might come out of nowhere.

4. Terrance McKinney  vs. Chris Duncan  

Securing the 4th position on the list is another 155 lbs clash that you don’t want to take your eyes off. It’s Terrance McKinney, who’s making his Octagon return and definitely searching for his third first-round finish in a row. In his last two fights, ‘T.Wrecks’ didn’t even cross a total of 3 minutes inside the cage, and that alone shows how ruthless he can be. And following the aforementioned fights, the Florida native also has a tough test in front of him.

Terrance McKinney’s opponent, Chris Duncan, comes in with plenty of experience as well. At this point, Duncan is on a three-fight winning streak, and he has earned two Fight of the Night bonuses for his scraps against Bolaji Oki and Mateusz Rębecki. Moreover, the Scottish lightweight has only lost one fight in the UFC, and that makes him all the more formidable.

Maycee Barber vs. Karine Silva  

Lastly comes the only women’s fight on the card, Maycee Barber vs Karine Silva. For both flyweight contenders, this showdown carries serious stakes, as a win here could open the door to a future title shot. Currently, Barber holds a top 5 position in the flyweight rankings, and honestly, she walks into this matchup with much higher stakes on the line.

‘The Future’ was once seen as the next big force at 125, with many believing she was destined to become champion. But her string of fight cancellations due to underlying medical issues pushed her career off track. Barber pulled out of two crucial matchups against Rose Namajunas and Erin Blanchfield, which stalled her path to a title shot. 

Still, Barber’s TKO win over Amanda Ribas (which earned her a Performance of the Night bonus) and her dominant showing against Katlyn Cerminara have kept her firmly positioned as one of the top contenders at flyweight. Now her competition rises even higher as Karine Silva, the number 09-ranked flyweight, steps in, looking to take her ranking and Barber’s dream of fighting for the title.

Silva currently holds a 5-1 record in the UFC, along with 8 knockout wins and 9 submission victories in her career, and she’s absolutely going to give it everything she has to beat Barber and push herself another step closer to Valentina Shevchenko.

That said, with these 5 amazing sleeper fights, which one do you think steals all the attention? Let us know in the comments section below.