MMA News

Tag: UFC 316

  • Merab Dvalishvili Promises To ‘Take Risks’ Second Time Around vs. Sean O’Malley

    Merab Dvalishvili Promises To ‘Take Risks’ Second Time Around vs. Sean O’Malley

    UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili has suggested that fans can expect things to play out differently when he runs it back with Sean O’Malley.

    After successfully pushing past the challenge of Umar Nurmagomedov this past January, “The Machine” will put his focus back on the man from whom he took the 135-pound gold last September.

    Dvalishvili used his grappling dominance to convincingly outpoint O’Malley inside the Sphere. But when the pair renew hostilities in the main event of UFC 316 on June 7, the Georgian is seemingly looking to use other tools to have his hand raised.

    During an appearance on Tuesday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, Dvalishvili outlined his intention to display more of his striking in the rematch with “Suga.”

    “I’m going to take some risks and I’m going to show my striking, too. That’s what I’m thinking right now,” Merab Dvalishvili said. “Sometimes I’m a little crazy, so in some fights I’m gonna show my craziness.”

  • Merab Dvalishvili Insists Sean O’Malley ‘Deserves’ Rematch Amid Backlash To UFC 316 Main Event 

    Merab Dvalishvili Insists Sean O’Malley ‘Deserves’ Rematch Amid Backlash To UFC 316 Main Event 

    UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili disagrees with the portion of fans and pundits who have questioned the decision to grant Sean O’Malley a title rematch.

    Dvalishvili and O’Malley will renew hostilities this June following their five-round contest inside the Sphere last September. On that occasion, the Georgian dominated to emerge with the 135-pound gold in his possession.

    In his first fight back since, “Suga” will receive an immediate shot at redemption, battling “The Machine” in the main event of UFC 316 on June 7.

    The decision to have O’Malley fight for the title instead of facing a fellow contender for the right to do so has split opinion in the MMA community.

    But during an appearance on Tuesday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, Dvalishvili leapt to the defense of his rival, claiming he “deserves” the shot.

    “Even though a lot of people criticize O’Malley getting the rematch, I think he deserves it,” Merab Dvalishvili said. “He made lots of excuses after the fight and I know he will make adjustments and he will change the game plan.

    “It’s gonna be a totally different fight,” Dvalishvili continued. “I know he will attack me from the beginning with the body kicks and striking. I want to test my striking, too.”

  • Kayla Harrison Gets Honest On Weight Cut Ahead Of UFC 316 Title Shot: ‘Don’t Do This, Kids’ 

    Kayla Harrison Gets Honest On Weight Cut Ahead Of UFC 316 Title Shot: ‘Don’t Do This, Kids’ 

    Kayla Harrison may have successfully hit the bantamweight limit two out of two times in the UFC, but that doesn’t mean dropping the pounds is getting any easier.

    Harrison is a couple of months away from her first title shot on MMA’s biggest stage, having earned a shot at the UFC’s 135-pound gold courtesy of a perfect start to life inside the Octagon.

    Following an emphatic submission of Holly Holm on debut last April, the two-time PFL champion outpointed Ketlen Vieira six months later to book a showdown with newly crowned bantamweight queen Julianna Peña this year.

    Harrison previewed the opportunity awaiting her at UFC 316 during an appearance on Monday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, also touching on her need to hit 135 pounds on the scale come June 6.

    “First, it was this fear of, ‘Oh my gosh. Can I do this (make bantamweight)?’ And now, it’s this fear of, ‘Oh my gosh, I know what I have to do in order to do this.’

    “It’s definitely not healthy. Don’t do this, kids. I do not recommend,” Harrison concluded.

  • Sean O’Malley Has Simple Message To Critics Of His UFC Title Rematch: ‘Don’t Watch!’

    Sean O’Malley Has Simple Message To Critics Of His UFC Title Rematch: ‘Don’t Watch!’

    Former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley is unfazed by those claiming he is undeserving of a chance to regain the title from Merab Dvalishvili.

    UFC CEO Dana White revealed a number of major matchups last week, including the rematch between Dvalishvili and O’Malley for the 135-pound gold at UFC 316 in June following their five-round battle inside the Sphere last September.

    The decision has appeared to split the MMA community, with some questioning why “Suga” has been granted an immediate opportunity in his return from injury given his short reign and one-sided defeat to “The Machine.”

    During an appearance on Monday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, O’Malley hit back at his detractors, simply suggesting they should not watch come fight night in Newark.

    “Don’t watch,” Sean O’Malley said. “Saturday night, June 7, f*cking watch your reality TV show. Don’t watch the fight.”

  • Kayla Harrison ‘Wants To Have Respect’ For Julianna Peña, But Says The Champ Is ‘Pretty Dumb’

    Kayla Harrison ‘Wants To Have Respect’ For Julianna Peña, But Says The Champ Is ‘Pretty Dumb’

    Kayla Harrison sees a lot to admire in Julianna Peña, but that doesn’t mean she finds it easy to show the UFC women’s bantamweight champion respect.

    Harrison staked her claim for a championship opportunity with a 2-0 debut year in the UFC, which saw her submit former champion Holly Holm and defeat Ketlen Vieira on the scorecards.

    Her win over the Brazilian came on the same card that saw Julianna Peña return to the throne at Raquel Pennington’s expense, setting up their showdown for 2025.

    The pair are set to co-headline June’s UFC 316 pay-per-view in Newark, where they’ll reignite hostilities that have existed for years and reached the stage during last October’s UFC 307 press conference. With that, it’s safe to say that there’s no love lost between the two rivals.

    The challenger does still see plenty of positives in Peña, but during an appearance on Monday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, Harrison explained why it’s sometimes hard to give the champ her due.

    “I want to have a lot of respect for Julianna because she’s a single mom, she’s a veteran of the sport, she scratched and clawed her way to the top, she believed in herself when nobody believed in her,” Kayla Harrison said. “I really wanna have admiration for her.

    “I think probably deep down I do, and I love that she’s confident and she says what she thinks, but she’s just pretty dumb sometimes,” Harrison added.

  • Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer Rebooked For UFC 316 In Newark

    Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer Rebooked For UFC 316 In Newark

    Kelvin Gastelum and Joe Pyfer will look to settle unfinished business at UFC 316.

    The middleweight showdown was originally slated for UFC Mexico City on March 29, but the matchup was called off at the eleventh hour after Pyfer fell ill and was ruled unfit to compete. “Bodybagz” later went on a fiery rant directed at Mexico on social media, blaming the country for the bout-canceling illness and declaring he’d never step foot there for a fight again.

    On Monday, John Marquez, head coach of Pyfer, broke the news on MMA on SiriusXM that the rescheduled clash with Gastelum is now set for UFC 316, slated to take place on June 7 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

    Pyfer bounced back from his unanimous decision loss to Jack Hermansson with a first-round knockout of Marc-Andre Barriault at UFC 303 this past June. Before that setback, “Bodybagz” had been riding high on a wave of momentum, racking up three consecutive finishes inside the Octagon. He now boasts an impressive 4-1 record under the UFC banner.

    Meanwhile, Kelvin Gastelum last competed at UFC Saudi Arabia in June 2024, where he secured a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over Daniel Rodriguez. A staple of the UFC roster since making his promotional debut in April 2013, the 33-year-old has shown flashes of brilliance but has often struggled to fully capitalize on his potential.

    Over the course of his UFC tenure, Gastelum has compiled a record of 13-9, and one no contest.

    The UFC 316 card will be headlined by a pair of high-profile title fights. In the main event, reigning bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili will defend his title in a rematch against former champ Sean O’Malley.

    Meanwhile, the co-main event at UFC 316 will feature Julianna Peña putting her women’s bantamweight crown on the line against Kayla Harrison.

  • Sean O’Malley Says He’ll Be ’70 Percent’ Better For Merab Dvalishvili Rematch

    Sean O’Malley Says He’ll Be ’70 Percent’ Better For Merab Dvalishvili Rematch

    Sean O’Malley will soon have his shot at redemption, and he’s promised UFC Bantamweight Champion Merab Dvalishvili that he’ll be facing an entirely different beast come fight night.

    UFC CEO Dana White announced a few high-profile bouts this week, including the title rematch between Dvalishvili and O’Malley following their five-round battle inside the Sphere last September.

    The decision has caused debate in the MMA community, with some questioning why “Suga” has been granted an immediate opportunity in his return from injury given his short reign and one-sided defeat to “The Machine.”

    But during the latest episode of his TimboSugarShow alongside coach Tim Welch, O’Malley expressed confidence in delivering a much better performance second time around, having overcome the injury he fought through in Las Vegas seven months ago.

    “Dude, I am so excited for this fight. My body, my body has not felt like this since I fought Petr Yan. Since I fought Petr, my body hasn’t felt this good since 2022. It’s 2025 now. I fought Aljo (Aljamain Sterling), I fought ‘Chito’ (Marlon Vera), I fought Merab, just dealing with little (injuries)…and I’m not saying I’m the only one. Every fighter’s dealing with something, but I haven’t felt this good.

    “I’m going to be 70 percent better than I was in that first fight,” Sean O’Malley said. “I’m going to be significantly more mobile, agile, better shape. I’m gonna fight at my full potential.”

  • Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O’Malley 2, Julianna Peña vs. Kayla Harrison Title Fights Headline UFC 316

    Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O’Malley 2, Julianna Peña vs. Kayla Harrison Title Fights Headline UFC 316

    Plenty of gold will be on the line when the mixed martial arts leader returns to Newark for UFC 316.

    The UFC heads back to the Prudential Center to stage a numbered event on June 7, marking the venue’s first time hosting the Octagon since Islam Makhachev successfully fended off the threat of Dustin Poirier to retain his grip on the lightweight title in mid-2024.

    This year, a pair of championship bouts at 135 pounds will top the UFC 316 lineup, with Merab Dvalishvili and Julianna Peña defending their belts against Sean O’Malley and Kayla Harrison, respectively.

    UFC CEO Dana White confirmed the news Tuesday on social media.

    This news confirms that O’Malley will receive an immediate rematch with Dvalishvili in his return from injury. “Sugar” hasn’t competed since being unseated by the Georgian at Noche UFC inside the Sphere last September, after which he underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum.

    Harrison, meanwhile, earned the right to challenge for UFC gold by making it two wins from two in the Octagon last October. On the same night that she outpointed Ketlen Vieira, Peña controversially got the better of Raquel Pennington on the scorecards to become a two-time bantamweight champ.