Merab Dvalishvili is gearing up for his second bantamweight title defense at UFC 316, scheduled for Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. His opponent will be Sean O’Malley, whom Dvalishvili bested in their first match back in September 2024.
O’Malley, seen as a future superstar by the UFC, tasted defeat in that fight, where he was outclassed by Dvalishvili, who showcased superior grappling skills.
“Skill for skill, I have better skills than Merab,” O’Malley remarked to CBS Sports. “He’s a dog, he finds a way to win… with the right preparation, he’s beatable.”
Dvalishvili has successfully defended his title once before, against Umar Nurmagomedov, while O’Malley has remained inactive since their first clash.
Upcoming Championship Fights
In addition to Dvalishvili vs. O’Malley, UFC 316 will feature Julianna Pena defending her women’s bantamweight title against Kayla Harrison, who is favored to win with odds of about -600.
Other notable fights on the card include:
- Patchy Mix making his UFC debut against Mario Bautista.
- Veteran welterweights Kevin Holland vs. Vicente Luque.
Fight Card Overview
- 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
Event Details
- Date: June 7
- Location: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey
- Start time: 10 p.m. ET (Main card)
- How to watch: ESPN+ PPV
Stay tuned for ongoing updates and analysis leading up to this major event.
