UFC 316 occurred on June 7, 2025, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The pay-per-view had two title fights and a full slate of fights, and the evening concluded with the champions still reigning and action galore everywhere. In the headliner, bantamweight champ Merab Dvalishvili (20-4) put his belt on the line against Sean O’Malley (18-3). Dvalishvili dominated and finished the fight in the third round by submission (choke), defeating O’Malley for the second time in a row.
In the co-main event, Kayla Harrison made a loud statement: she submitted Julianna Peña (12-6) in the second round (Kimura) to become the new UFC women’s bantamweight champion. Both title fights ended by taps, and the new champions already had their next steps in mind. Harrison called out former two-division champion Amanda Nunes (who was cageside) immediately, and Nunes responded that she’s open to un-retiring to face Harrison. Dvalishvili held his belt and pointed at rising contender Cory Sandhagen in the audience, making it clear he wants Sandhagen next. The champions partied joyfully: Dvalishvili celebrated yet another dominant title defense, and Harrison celebrated her first-ever UFC title.
A Merab Dvalishvili exclusive interview before the fight revealed him to be unfazed and prepared, stating that O’Malley was the obvious option and that he was expecting a hard fight. Dvalishvili also credited new UFC recruit Patchy Mix (fighting on the same card) as a difficult sparring partner in the interview, respectfully setting the tone for whatever future encounter might have been waiting. Ultimately, the night’s champions stood a little taller: Dvalishvili retained his bantamweight belt, and Harrison claimed her first UFC belt, both through submission wins.
Fight Results Summary
Outside of the title fights, there were plenty of significant finishes on the UFC 316 card. On the main card, Kelvin Gastelum was defeated by Joe Pyfer via unanimous decision (29-28 on all three cards) in middleweight action. In bantamweight action, Mario Bautista outpointed Bellator import Patchy Mix (20-2) in Mix’s UFC debut. ESPN has Bautista #6 at bantamweight presently. In a welterweight bout, Kevin Holland anaconda-choked Vicente Luque in the 2nd round, giving Luque (23-11-1) his first stoppage defeat in years.
The preliminary and early main card fights also featured highlight-reel stoppages. Flyweight Joshua Van cracked the top 10 with a 3rd-round TKO of Bruno Silva. Undefeated light heavyweight prospect Azamat Murzakanov stayed undefeated (5-0 UFC) with a first-round TKO of Brendson Ribeiro.
Heavyweight Waldo Cortes‑Acosta earned a unanimous decision victory over Serghei Spivac at UFC 316, moving to 14–1 professionally. In the prelims, early highlight moments included Ariane da Silva losing a decision to Wang Cong, JooSang Yoo scoring a 28‑second one‑punch knockout over Jeka Saragih, and Quillan Salkilld winning a lightweight decision.
Seven of the 13 fights ended in stoppages (three on the main card) and six went to decision, per UFC and media reports. This is a solid stoppage rate for a numbered event. Four Performance of the Night bonuses were awarded by the UFC (no Fight of the Night was awarded): Dvalishvili, Harrison, Holland, and Yoo each earned an additional $50,000. The post-fight press focused on the highlight-reel moments: Dvalishvili’s finish, Harrison’s kimura, a viral one-punch KO by Yoo, and Murzakanov’s early knockout were all among the highlights of the night.
Rankings and Title Picture
With the results in, the bantamweight title picture and rankings have unfolded in plain view. The victory cements Dvalishvili as the undisputed bantamweight champion and #1 in the division. ESPN’s latest divisional ranking (updated last on June 9) has Dvalishvili ranked #1 and O’Malley ranked #2 in the men’s bantamweight rankings.
With O’Malley having lost back-to-back bouts to Dvalishvili, he will need to regain momentum. Mario Bautista’s victory propelled him to #10 on those rankings. Notably, Cory Sandhagen remained at #4, positioning him as the logical next in line, just as Dvalishvili said he desired.
At women’s bantamweight, Harrison’s win will propel her to the head of the class. She’s now the undefeated champion (19-1), so she’ll be #1. Julianna Peña, who was #1 as champion, will probably fall to #2. Raquel Pennington, who was #2, will be behind them. ESPN ranked Peña #1 and Harrison #3 in their pre-fight rankings, so this will flip those two.
The question now is if Amanda Nunes is actually coming out of retirement, and if she’d be right back in title contention immediately. Sources and fan reactions indicate that Amanda Nunes vs. Kayla Harrison is what’s next.
Kayla Harrison’s Health Implications
The co-main featured two-time Olympic judo gold medalist and UFC champ Kayla Harrison. The weight cut to 135 lb had many raising eyebrows heading into fight night. Harrison herself described the final cut as so difficult she thought about walking away, calling the process “unpleasant but worth it”.
It is a cost to Harrison’s body that makes you question how much more she will be able to continue to do it, particularly if a blockbuster bout with Amanda Nunes materializes. With his UFC family watching, Harrison’s career could also initiate discussions about safer cutting methods and fighter well-being, a topic that’s becoming increasingly pertinent to combat sports.
Streaming, Not Traditional Pay‑Per‑View
During the approach to UFC 316, Sean O’Malley had publicly criticized the previous pay-per-view format with the argument that digital piracy is devaluing it, potentially substituting it with streaming subscription models. ESPN+ still retained the live stream, but O’Malley estimated up to 90% of the audience watched illegally, and so UFC started looking for collaborations with services such as Netflix and Amazon to hopefully remedy the issue and provide more alternatives to watchers.
The UFC’s TV deal with ESPN is expiring soon, so this could be the clincher. UFC 316 can be one of the final big shows on the old PPV model before it transitions to streaming-first distribution. If Newark’s economic boom, fueled in part by major events like UFC 316, continues amid this broader disruption, it could signal a deeper shift in how live sports engage with fans, stimulate local economies, and adapt their revenue models. The more engaging the fans are, the more engaged the gambling markets become. Live betting is now easier than ever with competitive UFC odds.
Reactions and Fallout
Responses from fighters and fans on social media and in the press were immediate. Headlines said Dvalishvili’s victory was “a generational run,” and that he was too much for O’Malley. In fact, analysts praised Merab’s dominance as a string of dominant defenses has him now among elite.
For the women, fighters and legends filled Kayla Harrison’s social media with congratulations. Observers have mentioned that Harrison’s move from PFL to the UFC has been as seamless as can be, and that she’s now firmly at the division’s top. Other UFC superstars such as Joanna Jędrzejczyk, Jessica Andrade, and more publicly congratulated Harrison on her victory.
During the post-fight interviews, both champions called out their probable next challengers. In the cage, Harrison yelled up at Amanda Nunes in the crowd, “Come on up here, Amanda! This is the next fight.” Nunes, already set for Hall of Fame induction, was smiling and nodding her head.
UFC president Dana White and officials credited the event to its stars and their efforts. Some media even called for an immediate rematch between Nunes and Harrison, calling it a potential “fight of the year” as Nunes returns to competition. Others speculated on which bantamweight challenger is up next; Dvalishvili made his case clearly by openly calling out Sandhagen, while analysts suggested both Cory Sandhagen and a rematch against Petr Yan (#3-ranked) as possibilities.
Debates Around Merab Dvalishvili
The consensus after UFC 316 isn’t just that Merab Dvalishvili is still rolling through everyone, some are already asking if he’s the greatest bantamweight in UFC history. With a second definitive submission of Sean O’Malley, Dvalishvili etched his name deeper into the record books.
Analysts argue his relentless pressure, cardio, and back-to-back victories over a flashy striker such as O’Malley could push him past the likes of Dominick Cruz in GOAT debates. Social media hype only pours more gasoline on the flames: one Redditor said “Merab’s cardio is honestly the single most impressive physical gift I’ve personally ever witnessed in an MMA fighter”. With Cory Sandhagen in attendance and Dvalishvili calling him out loudly from inside the Octagon, the stage appears set for Sandhagen to face the current, maybe GOAT-level champion.
Enjoying UFC Betting Smartly
Wagering on UFC fights, such as UFC 316, is an extra rush but only when done responsibly. Most of all, establish and adhere to a strict bankroll limit, some set amount you are willing to lose. The rest of your funds outside the betting budget are not to be touched under any circumstances.
Avoid the chase: if a wager is going against you, don’t double up in an attempt to recover; this is a cycle that always ends in reckless spending. Study the various bet types, moneyline, method-of-victory, round totals, and place bets only on those that you study and feel comfortable with. Utilize budgeting resources offered by sportsbooks (i.e., deposit limits and session time limits) to remain within comfortable limits.
Recording a journal of your bets assists with recognizing patterns and excessive spending sooner rather than later. Lastly, never wager while intoxicated; sober-minded decisions minimize impulsive bets and regret. Coupling sound preparation with self-awareness allows you to be involved with the excitement of UFC 316 without risking emotional or financial injury.
Betting, Odds, and Media Picks
There were live markets for betting around UFC 316. Merab Dvalishvili was a good moneyline favorite (in the neighborhood of -300) over Sean O’Malley at close to +250 on fight night, a testament to Merab’s status as the leading bantamweight. Kayla Harrison was an even bigger favorite over Peña due to her spotless professional record and Olympic background. A number of websites released picks in advance, but as it happened, all the favorites emerged victorious.
For the fans who are interested in betting, the UFC odds were live for every fight and in real time updated all night at Stake. Following UFC 316, the next set of fights in the coming UFC events will be what the bettors will be looking at, with new odds to be placed on Dvalishvili’s next title defense and Harrison’s showdown with Nunes.
The fans were also helped by the detailed previews on the Expert UFC picks and predictions page at Stake. The previews featured breakdowns of every matchup, fighter statistics, and potential outcomes, which were incredibly accurate for UFC 316. With both champions winning via submission and a number of undercard stoppages, the fans who did their research were rewarded for backing the favorites.
In short, UFC 316 provided decisive and entertaining outcomes: the titleholders finished their challengers, setting up clear next fights, and fighters throughout the night boosted or even derailed their careers. Media and fans were thrilled by the stoppages and were already abuzz regarding the forthcoming super fights. Official results and post-fight reaction made it clear that Dvalishvili and Harrison are at the top of their divisions, for the time being.
