Merab Dvalishvili beat Sean O'Malley for the second time at UFC 316 to retain the UFC bantamweight title. Meanwhile, Kayla Harrison forced Julianna Pena to tap to win UFC women's bantamweight title.
It was a night of dominant performances in New Jersey, as hard-hitting wrestlers got to showcase their skills to a worldwide audience.
O'Malley (18-3, 1 NC) stated he made a few lifestyle changes before the fight, not letting distractions get in the way. The new father had surgery and did adjust well at certain points, stuffing a few Dvalishvili (20–4) takedowns.
However, Dvalishvili was too much for O'Malley to handle.
Dvalishvili used superb boxing to clip O'Malley at several points. The takedowns he did land were massive, and his ground game was superb. The Georgian landed over 60 strikes in round three and landed multiple takedowns. The last takedown was the beginning of the end, as he forced O'Malley to submit.
It was the thirteenth straight win for Dvalishvili and his second successful title defense. Up next for him could be Cory Sandhagen.
The man continues to DOMINATE 💪@MerabDvalishvil gets the submission in round 2 to retain the bantamweight title! #UFC316 pic.twitter.com/0is9Lqt2nK
— UFC (@ufc) June 8, 2025
Harrison (19-1) came into the UFC with a lot of hype. From the Olympics to the PFL, she believed she was the best in the world. She backed up her confidence by dominating against Pena (12-6) to win the UFC bantamweight title.
Harrison landed multiple takedowns against Pena. In round one, Pena landed an illegal kick while Harrison's knees were on the floor. Referee Vitor Ribeiro, a former fighter, deducted a point from Pena. The points didn't end up mattering, as Harrison submitted Pena with five seconds before the end of round two.
After the fight, Harrison called out Amanda Nunes, the former double-champion who did retire a while back. She teased her return and officially confirmed it by stepping into the octagon. It's a super fight in the making.
The 🐐 vs The Champ #UFC316 pic.twitter.com/FCBxKGPM17
— UFC (@ufc) June 8, 2025
Joe Pyfer was disappointed in his performance against Kelvin Gasteum but did enough to secure the win and go 5-1 in the UFC. He dropped Gastelum early and controlled the action. Gastelum looked comfortable in round three, but it was not enough to get the win.
Pyfer has now won two straight and may have a number next to his name in the middleweight division by next week. Gastelum, the winner of The Ultimate Fighter 17, is now 2-2 in his last four fights.
Patchy Mix came into the UFC with plenty of hype. The former Bellator champion wanted to prove something. Unfortunately for him, his UFC debut was spoiled by Mario Bautista, who pummeled him for three rounds.
Mix did not attempt a takedown, looked stiff, and did not showcase solid head movement. Bautista won via unanimous decision and has now won eight straight. Mix's seven-fight win streak has come to an end. It's unknown what's next for him following that performance.
Vicente Luque has the most D'Arce Choke wins in UFC history. Kevin Holland walked into New Jersey and forced Luque to submit to one of his own. The loud-mouthed Holland then called out Colby Covington, saying he could beat the former interim champion.
The Sporting News will provide results from the entire UFC 316 fight card.
UFC 316 full card results
Main Card
- Merab Dvalishvili (c) def. Sean O'Malley via submission for the UFC bantamweight title (4:42 into round three)
- Kayla Harrison def. Julianna Pena (c) via kimura for the UFC bantamweight title (4:55 into round two)
- Joe Pyfer def. Kelvin Gastelum via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 30-27)
- Mario Bautista def. Patchy Mix via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
- Kevin Holland def. Vicente Luque via D'Arce Choke (1:03 into round two)
Prelims
- Joshua Van def. Bruno Gustavo da Silva via TKO (4:01 into round three)
- Azamat Murzakanov def. Brendson Ribeiro via TKO (3:25 into round one)
- Waldo Cortes-Acosta def. Serghei Spivac via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Andreas Gustafsson def. Khaos Williams via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–26, 30–26)
Early Prelims
- Wang Cong def. Ariane da Silva via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Yoo Joo-sang def. Jeka Saragih via KO (0:28 into round one)
- Quillan Salkilld def. Yanal Ashmouz via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- MarQuel Mederos def. Mark Choinski via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)