UFC 316 Preview: Dvalishvili vs. O'Malley and More Title Fights
An in-depth look at UFC 316 as two title fights headline the event, featuring Dvalishvili against O'Malley and Harrison facing Pena.
UFC 316 Preview: Dvalishvili vs. O’Malley and More Title Fights
Two UFC championships are on the line this Saturday when UFC 316 lands in Newark, New Jersey’s Prudential Center. In the main event, Sean O’Malley will attempt to regain the bantamweight championship from the man who took it from him in September, Merab Dvalishvili. Dvalishvili’s relentless pace and seemingly endless gas tank allowed him to overwhelm O’Malley for the majority of their UFC 306 meeting, which Dvalishvili won by unanimous decision.
O’Malley has claimed that he has made several lifestyle changes in taking a more serious approach to his career, but Dvalishvili’s unique style still presents significant challenges for the former champ.
In the co-main event, two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo Kayla Harrison will challenge for her first UFC title against women’s bantamweight champion Julianna Pena. Pena is on her second run with the title, having defeated the greatest women’s mixed martial artist, Amanda Nunes, to win it in December 2021, before losing the rematch. Pena then reclaimed the title in October after defeating Raquel Pennington, following Nunes’ retirement.
Adding some extra intrigue to Pena vs. Harrison is the looming return of Nunes, who has stated she will end her retirement to face the winner.
Other significant matchups include former Bellator bantamweight champion Patchy Mix making his UFC debut against rising contender Mario Bautista, as well as veteran welterweights Kevin Holland and Vicente Luque facing off in what could be one of the night’s most exciting fights.
With so much happening on Saturday night, let’s look closer at the full fight card along with the latest odds before we explore our staff predictions and picks for the PPV portion of the 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
With such a massive main event on tap, the CBS Sports crew has shared their predictions and picks for the main card.
UFC 316 Picks, Predictions
| Fight | Campbell | Brookhouse | Mahjouri | Mormile | Wise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dvalishvili (c) vs. O’Malley | Dvalishvili | O’Malley | Dvalishvili | Dvalishvili | Dvalishvili |
| Pena (c) vs. Harrison | Harrison | Harrison | Harrison | Harrison | Harrison |
| Pyfer vs. Gastelum | Pyfer | Pyfer | Pyfer | Pyfer | Pyfer |
| Mix vs. Bautista | Mix | Mix | Mix | Mix | Mix |
| Holland vs. Luque | Holland | Holland | Holland | Holland | Holland |
Dvalishvili vs. O’Malley
Campbell: Despite the changes O’Malley has made, Dvalishvili remains a challenging match-up for him due to his cardio and striking defense.
Brookhouse: I think O’Malley can adapt his style from their first fight and has the potential for a finish.
Mahjouri: O’Malley is making significant preparations; however, Dvalishvili’s constant pressure and groundwork are likely to see him victorious once again.
Pena vs. Harrison
Campbell: The odds favor Harrison, but Pena’s toughness could pose an issue. Still, Harrison has the tools to win this fight.
Brookhouse: Harrison’s wrestling will likely be too much for Pena, who struggles with grappling.
Mahjouri: Harrison’s grappling skills pose a challenging night for Pena, especially given her poor takedown defense.
