Full Card for UFC 316: Dvalishvili vs. O’Malley 2

Saturday night, Newark, New Jersey, will host UFC 316, featuring men’s and women’s Bantamweight Championship fights. UFC Undisputed 135-pound champion Merab Dvalishvili will defend his title against Sean O’Malley in a rematch. Kayla Harrison attempts to win UFC gold for the first time against reigning two-time champion Juliana Pena in the co-main event.

This is a fascinating event with two championship bouts with massive stakes. This is the seventh UFC PPV taking place in Newark, New Jersey. Most recently, the promotion hosted UFC 302 in June 2024, where Islam Makhachev defeated Dustin Poirier.

Even though Pena (+490) and O’Malley (+235) are big underdogs on DraftKings Sportsbook, they are two of the best fighters in their divisions’ history, so don’t count them out.

Although O’Malley lost his title to Dvalishvili at UFC 306, it was the first time he lost a fight without getting injured in the contest. In August 2020, he lost to Marlon Vera but suffered a leg injury during the fight. As I mentioned, he has had setbacks throughout his career, but this is an opportunity to prove that he is an all-time great. With a victory at UFC 316, O’Malley can join T.J. Dillashaw and Dominick Cruz as the only two-time UFC Bantamweight champions. The greatest fighters prove they can overcome obstacles and come out on top.

When he entered the UFC, O’Malley’s goal was to be a bigger star than Conor McGregor. Although that goal seems unattainable for anyone, O’Malley’s star can grow with another title victory. His loss against Dvalishvili was a unanimous decision, but it was not a blowout. Two judges scored it 48-47, with one giving it a 49-46 for Dvalishvili.

Dvalishvili successfully defended his title for the first time against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 in January. He has won 12 straight fights and is already one of the best 135-pound champions in history. Dvalishvili has a chance to join an elite group of UFC fighters with a win streak of at least 13. The fighters who have achieved that feat are Anderson Silva, Islam Makhachev, Kamaru Usman, Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, Demetrious Johnson, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Max Holloway.

Being a big underdog is nothing new to Pena. She was a +700 underdog at UFC 269 in December 2021 and submitted Amanda Nunes in that contest. She is coming off winning her second bantamweight title against Raquel Pennington at UFC 307 in October 2024. Pena ended Nunes’ nine-fight win streak in title fights, and if anyone can stop Harrison, a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and PFL champion, it is Pena.

Harrison is 18-1 in her MMA career, winning her first two UFC fights in 2024. She submitted former champion Holly Holm and beat Ketlen Vieira by unanimous decision. Harrison was one of the best signings in UFC history last year, and if she has a chance to join Henry Cejudo as the only fighter with an Olympic Gold Medal and a UFC title.

Besides the two title fights, this Main Card has a few more exciting bouts. Two-time PFL Champion Patchy Mix signed with the UFC in May and was quickly booked to face No. 10 Mario Bautista. Mix has wins over decorated champion Kyoji Horiguchi, Raufeon Stots, and Sergio Stots. Mix is a -180 favorite in this bout, as Bautista is a +150 underdog on DraftKings Sportsbook.

Kevin Holland, one of the most active fighters in the UFC, is back for his 26th fight in the promotion. He most recently beat Gunnar Nelson in March. Holland will open up the main card against Vicente Luque. You can get Holland at -250 to win this fight while Luque is +205.

The Early Prelims begin at 6:00 p.m. ET, with the Prelims starting at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+. The Main Card starts at 10:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV. Check out the entire 13-fight card below.

Main Card | 10:00 p.m. ET | ESPN+ PPV