Merab Dvalishvili is set to make the second defense of his bantamweight championship when the UFC 316 comes to Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on Saturday. Standing across the Octagon that night will be Sean O’Malley, the man Dvalishvili defeated in September 2024 to win the title.
Dvalishvili’s win in their first meeting derailed the hype train behind O’Malley, who the promotion had treated as a potential mega-star for the future. Instead of rolling to his second successful title defense, O’Malley was outwrestled for much of the fight and a late charge was not enough to steal the win from Dvalishvili.
“Skill for skill, I have better skills than Merab,” O’Malley told CBS Sports ahead of Saturday’s rematch at UFC 316. “He’s a dog, he finds a way to win, and he’s done it time and time again. He’s very experienced. He’s very mentally strong.
“He has good skills, but I know there are many holes I can capitalize on. With the right preparation, he’s beatable.”
While Dvalishvili has made one successful defense of the belt since the first meeting, taking a decision over Umar Nurmagomedov, O’Malley has not fought since losing the title.
There is a second championship fight set for UFC 316, with Julianna Pena defending the women’s bantamweight championship against Kayla Harrison. Harrison is a roughly -600 favorite to become champion, which would add a UFC title to accolades such as two Olympic gold medals in Judo and two PFL championships.
Other big matchups this weekend include former Bellator bantamweight champion Patchy Mix making his UFC debut against rising contender Mario Bautista. Mix was granted his release from PFL earlier this year and now gets a short notice assignment against the rugged Bautista, who is coming off a win over the legendary Jose Aldo. Plus, veteran welterweights Kevin Holland and Vicente Luque are set to slug it out in what could be one of the most fun fights on the night.
Below is the complete fight card for UFC 316 along with the latest odds. Check back all week long for the latest news, features and other content around this massive event.
UFC 316 fight card, odds
- Merab Dvalishvili (c) -300 vs. Sean O’Malley +240, bantamweight title
- Kayla Harrison -600 vs. Julianna Pena (c) +425, women’s bantamweight title
- Joe Pyfer -400 vs. Kelvin Gastelum +310, middleweights
- Patchy Mix -170 vs. Mario Bautista +140, bantamweights
- Kevin Holland -280 vs. Vicente Luque +230, welterweights
- Joshua Van -550 vs. Bruno Silva +400, flyweights
- Azamat Murzakanov -550 vs. Brendson Ribeiro +400, light heavyweights
- Serghei Spivac -140 vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta +120, heavyweights
- Wang Cong -550 vs. Ariane da Silva +400, women’s flyweights
- Yoo Joo-sang -500 vs. Jeka Saragih +380, featherweights
- Quillan Salkilld -440 vs. Yanal Ashmouz +340, lightweights
Where to watch UFC 316
- Date: June 7 | Location: Prudential Center — Newark, New Jersey
- Start time: 10 p.m. ET (Main card)
- How to watch: ESPN+ PPV
UFC 316 countdown
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