UFC 316: Merab Dvalishvili stops Sean O’Malley to retain title

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With US President Donald Trump successful attendance, Dvalishvili dominates challenger O’Malley successful a third-round triumph successful New Jersey.

Published On 8 Jun 2025

Merab Dvalishvili defeated Sean O’Malley effortlessly successful the main lawsuit of UFC 316 successful Newark, New Jersey, securing a third-round modified choke successful their rematch to clasp the bantamweight championship.

With United States President Donald Trump watching from cageside connected Saturday night, Dvalishvili (20-4 MMA) emphatically displayed his wrestling basal to tyre retired the erstwhile champion and marque an statement arsenic 1 of the sport’s champion bantamweights, possibly of each time.

Dvalishvili, who won astatine 4:42 of the 3rd circular for his 13th consecutive victory, said helium would invited his adjacent rubric defence against Cory Sandhagen (18-5 MMA), a victor of 4 of his past 5 fights.

“You’re the man, let’s go,” Dvalishvili said, indicating that helium would beryllium funny successful warring Sandhagen next.

O’Malley (18-3 MMA) fell to Dvalishvili past September by unanimous decision, relinquishing his title. O’Malley confirmed the nonaccomplishment is simply a insignificant setback, reassuring of a dependable return.

“100 percent, convey you guys for coming out,” O’Malley said.

Sean O'Malley and Merab Dvalishvili successful action.

The women’s bantamweight rubric changed hands successful the co-main event, arsenic Kayla Harrison submitted Julianna Pena with a second-round kimura, a submission method besides known arsenic the treble wristlock oregon reverse keylock.

Harrison and Pena embraced successful the Octagon afterwards, showing utmost people for 1 different aft the 34-year-old controlled each facet of the fight.

Harrison said during her post-fight interrogation that her value chopped was truthful draining connected Thursday nighttime that she “wanted to quit”, but it would person been a mistake successful her eyes, fixed that astir fighters successful MMA bash not triumph a UFC title.

Harrison (19-1 MMA) called retired Pena’s (13-6 MMA) erstwhile rival, Amanda Nunes. Nunes (23-5 MMA) is simply a erstwhile two-division champion who retired successful 2023. As clip passed, she teased a comeback. It present seems inevitable, arsenic Harrison and Nunes posed for a face-off and talked of a bout aboriginal this year, arsenic the Prudential Center assemblage beamed.

Kevin Holland kicked disconnected the UFC 316 main paper successful style, securing a D’Arce choke implicit Vicente Luque astatine 1:03 of the 2nd round.

Holland (28-13 MMA) has present won 3 of his past five, emphasising the request to stay a salient welterweight contender. Luque (23-11-1 MMA), who resides successful New Jersey via Brazil, has mislaid 2 of his past three.

Middleweight Joe Pyfer made bully connected his UFC return, defeating TUF alumnus Kelvin Gastelum by unanimous determination 29-28, 29-27, 30-27.

Pyfer (14-3 MMA) has won his past 2 outings, whereas Gastelum (19-10 MMA) is successful the midst of a slump.