Fight By Fight Preview | UFC 316: Dvalishvili vs O’Malley 2

Saturday’s pay-per-view wraps with a bantamweight championship rematch between Merab Dvalishvili and “Suga” Sean O’Malley. 

The champion enters his second title defense on a 12-fight winning streak, having already successfully defended his belt earlier this year against Umar Nurmagomedov. Unbeaten since opening his UFC career with consecutive setbacks, Dvalishvili continues to be one of the foremost examples of a fighter that has learned to weaponize his conditioning and pressure to break opponents, confident that even if he drops early rounds, his superior gas tank and non-stop motor will allow him to rally in the late stages of the fight.

WATCH: Dvalishvili Sit-Down Interview | O’Malley Sit-Down Interview  

O’Malley turned 30 a few weeks after his UFC 306 loss to Dvalishvili, and heads into battle off a loss for the first time in eight fights. The flamboyant fighter was uncharacteristically hesitant to let go of his weapons in the first meeting, falling behind early and never truly working his way back into the fight, though he did sting Dvalishvili late and win the fifth round on all three scorecards. 

One of the big questions heading into this one is how much did the injury O’Malley carried into the first contest limit his abilities? He’s since had surgery to repair the issue, so it shouldn’t be an issue this time around, and now we’ll find out how big of an impact it played on his performance, and see what kind of adjustments each side has made now that they have 25 minutes of experience against one another to draw from. 

Bantamweight Championship Co-Main Event: Julianna Pena vs. Kayla Harrison

Before the boys close out the show, the ladies will light up the Octagon as Julianna Pena puts her title on the line against Kayla Harrison in the bantamweight championship co-main event.

Pena claimed the title for a second time with a dogged split decision win over Raquel Pennington last October in Salt Lake City. It was a quintessential Pena performance, as the first female Ultimate Fighter winner leaned on her grit, tenacity, and steady output early to race out to an early lead and hold off the champion down the stretch in the closely contested bout.

Harrison also competed on that card in Salt Lake City, earning her place as No. 1 contender with a unanimous decision win over Ketlen Vieira earlier in the evening. Though it wasn’t as dominant as her debut win over Holly Holm in April, there were probably more positives to take away from her most recent outing, as the two-time Olympic gold medalist showed she could push through three hard rounds, at altitude, in a tough stylistic matchup with a perennial contender.

How To Watch And Stream UFC 316 In Your Country  

As much as the banter between these two is going to be terrific in the days leading up to this weekend’s contest, it’s how things play out once they get in there that is most captivating. On paper, it feels like a bout that could hinge on how long it lasts, with most forecasting Harrison to have success early, but Pena to be the more successful of the two if things reach the championship rounds.

It will be interesting to see what transpires, especially with the potential for a massive fight with 2025 Hall of Fame inductee and former two-division champion Amanda Nunes sitting out there as a huge opportunity for whomever emerges with the belt around their waist should “The Lioness” end her retirement.

Additional Main Card Matchups

Kelvin Gastelum vs Joe Pyfer 

We’ve got ourselves a critical clash in the middleweight division that grew a little more compelling following a postponement in Mexico City, as Kelvin Gastelum faces off with Joe Pyfer in the middle of Saturday’s pay-per-view main card.

Gastelum officially moves back up to middleweight, where he’s gone 7-6 with one no contest in 14 UFC appearances at 185 pounds. Last time out, a weight management issue prompted his welterweight bout with Daniel Rodriguez to be moved up a division during fight week, so there is extra pressure on the former Ultimate Fighter winner to have things dialed in and deliver a strong performance here.

MORE UFC 316: Main Event Coach Conversation

Pyfer went 1-1 in 2024, opening his year with a unanimous decision loss to Jack Hermansson in a main event pairing that is sure to stand as a tremendous learning experience for the 28-year-old Philly-based fighter. He followed that up with a rapid knockout win over Marc-Andre Barriault at UFC 303, earning his fourth win and fourth finish in five starts since landing on the roster. 

The duo were expected to clash in Mexico City at the end of March, but Pyfer was forced out due to illness, delaying the highly anticipated matchup. It’s a massive fight for both men as Gastelum is looking to show he’s capable of making another push towards the top of the middleweight ranks, while Pyfer aims to collect the biggest win of his career by defeating the impending Hall of Fame inductee.

Mario Bautista vs Patchy Mix 

The first of the main card’s three outstanding bantamweight pairings features the streaking Mario Bautista taking on promotional newcomer Patchy Mix in an absolute must-see fixture.

A member of The MMA Lab, Bautista has quietly put together a solid seven-fight winning streak heading into this one, most recently having edged out legend Jose Aldo as part of that UFC 307 fight card in Salt Lake City last October. When at his best, Bautista is a well-rounded, attacking competitor who can beat you in a number of ways, exhibiting a willingness to trade on the feet, an ability to dominate on the canvas, and the conditioning to go three hard rounds at a good clip.

FULL FIGHTS: Dvalishvili vs O’Malley 1 | O’Malley vs Sterling | Dvalishvili vs Nurmagomedov | Peña vs Nunes 1 | Harrison vs Holm  

One of the biggest additions to the UFC roster in the last couple years, Mix was widely regarded as one of the best bantamweights competing outside of the Octagon prior to joining the promotion. He’s amassed a 20-1 record with a number of wins over familiar names, having won and successfully defended the interim Bellator bantamweight title and undisputed Bellator bantamweight title over his last three outings. 

Bautista was originally scheduled to face off with Marlon “Chito” Vera before the fan favorite was forced to withdraw, opening the door for Mix to step into a pay-per-view main card matchup with a ranked opponent right out of the chute. This is a huge fight for both men, and the winner should find themselves in the thick of the title conversation once the smoke clears following this weekend’s event at “The Rock.”

Vicente Luque vs Kevin Holland 

Welterweight veterans Vicente Luque and Kevin Holland are tasked with opening up Saturday’s pay-per-view main card in New Jersey.

This is a home game of sorts for Luque, who was born an hour north in Westwood, and heads into his 2025 debut off a technical submission win over Themba Gorimbo last December at UFC 310. Now 33 and making the walk for the 23rd time in his UFC career (and 35th time overall), “The Silent Assassin” remains a fixture in the Top 15, and an all-action attraction each time he competes.

READ: May’s Monthly Report  

It seems as if Holland is trying to re-write the record books as he makes his third appearance already this year on Saturday, putting him on pace to potentially log six bouts in 2025 if he’s able to stay healthy and find the right matchups. After getting quickly submitted by Reinier de Ridder at UFC 311 in January, “Trailblazer” dropped back down to welterweight and outworked Gunnar Nelson in March, moving him to 5-4 in the UFC when fighting in the 170-pound weight class. 

Will Luque collect a second straight win close to home or can Holland build on his success in London and force his way into the welterweight rankings?

Preliminary Card Pairings

Bruno Silva vs Joshua Van 

Serghei Spivac and Waldo Cortes Acosta face off in this under the radar clash of Top 15 heavyweights.

Still only 30 years old, Spivac has settled into a stable position in the middle third of the rankings, posting a 7-3 mark over his last 10 fights, with each of his losses coming against individuals currently ranked ahead of him. A member of the Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) Class of ’22, Cortes Acosta arrives in New Jersey on a four-fight winning streak, having most recently collected a second-round knockout win over Ryan Spann in March.

Khaos Williams vs Andreas Gustafsson

The barrage of flyweight action taking place as of late continues here, as Ariane da Silva steps in with Wang Cong.

After posting three straight wins upon returning to the 125-pound ranks, da Silva heads into her first appearance of the year looking to halt a two-fight skid, having landed on the wrong side of things against Karine Silva and Jasmine Jasudavicius in 2024. Wang has alternated results over her first three UFC appearances, scoring a blistering knockout in over Victoria Leonardo in her debut before getting submitted by Gabriella Fernandes in her sophomore outing, then besting Bruna Brasil earlier this year at UFC 312.

Jeka Saragih vs JooSang Yoo