
UFC 316 pre-event facts: Kayla Harrison can join exclusive club of Olympic, UFC champions
UFC 316 pre-event facts: Kayla Harrison can join exclusive club of Olympic, UFC champions
The UFC returns to Newark, N.J., for the third consecutive year on Saturday with UFC 316, whic goes down at Prudential Center with a main card on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
A championship doubleheader tops the card, with both the men's and women's bantamweight titles on the line. In the main event, Merab Dvalishvili (19-4 MMA, 12-2 UFC) will rematch Sean O'Malley (18-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) after taking the belt from him in September, while in the co-headliner Julianna Peña (11-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) clashes with Olympic champion Kayla Harrison (18-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) for gold.
To go inside the numbers behind both title fights, as well as an undercard with many notables, check below for MMA Junkie's pre-event facts for UFC 316.
Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O'Malley
Merab Dvalishvili
Dvalishvili is one of two Georgian champions in UFC history. Ilia Topuria also accomplished the feat.
Dvalishvili is one of nine undisputed bantamweight champions in UFC history.
Dvalishvili is one of three fighters in UFC history to win an undisputed championship after starting 0-2 in the promotion. Rafael dos Anjos and Miesha Tate also accomplished the feat.
Dvalishvili's 12-fight UFC winning streak is the second-longest active streak in the company behind Islam Makhachev (15).
Dvalishvili's 11-fight UFC winning streak at bantamweight is the longest active streak in the division.
Dvalishvili's 11-fight UFC winning streak at bantamweight is the longest streak in divisional history.
Dvalishvili has earned 15 of his 19 career victories by decision. That includes 11 of his 12 UFC wins.
Dvalishvili's 10 decision victories in UFC bantamweight competition are most in divisional history.
Dvalishvili has landed 92 takedowns in UFC competition, the most in company history. Georges St-Pierre previously held sole possession of the record since November 2013.
Dvalishvili's 79 takedowns landed in UFC bantamweight competition are most in divisional history.
Dvalishvili is the only fighter in history to land 10 or more takedowns in four separate UFC bouts.
Dvalishvili attempted 49 takedowns at UFC Fight Night 221, the single-fight record for a UFC bout.
Dvalishvili has landed 2,092 total strikes in UFC bantamweight competition are most in divisional history.
Dvalishvili out-landed Marlon Moraes by 212 total strikes at UFC 266, the largest differential in a single UFC/WEC bantamweight bout.
Sean O'Malley
O'Malley is one of nine fighters to hold the undisputed UFC bantamweight championship.
O'Malley is one of three fighters to win a UFC championship after being signed to the promotion through Dana White's Contender Series. Jack Della Maddalena and Jamahal Hill also accomplished the feat.
O'Malley has earned 13 of 18 career victories by stoppage. He's finished all six of his UFC stoppage victories by knockout.
O'Malley's six knockout victories in UFC bantamweight competition are tied for second-most in divisional history behind T.J. Dillashaw (seven).
O'Malley lands 6.71 significant strikes per minute in UFC competition, the third-highest rate in bantamweight history behind Louis Smolka (7.18) and Victor Henry (7.17).
O'Malley lands 61.5 percent of his significant strike attempts in UFC bantamweight competition, the best rate in divisional history.
O'Malley landed 220 significant strikes at UFC 299, the single-fight record for a UFC bantamweight championship bout.
O'Malley's nine fight-night bonuses for UFC bantamweight bouts are most in divisional history.
Julianna Peña vs. Kayla Harrison
Julianna Peña
Peña is one of six fighters to hold the UFC women's bantamweight title. She is one of two fighters to have multiple title reigns, along with Amanda Nunes.
Peña is one of eight fighters in history to win a season of "The Ultimate Fighter" reality series and a UFC title.
Peña's eight victories in UFC women's bantamweight competition are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Nunes (13) and Raquel Pennington (12).
Peña's four stoppage victories in UFC women's bantamweight competition are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Nunes (eight) and Ronda Rousey (six).
Peña's two submission victories in UFC women's bantamweight competition are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Rousey (three).
Kayla Harrison
Harrison is one of four Olympic gold medalist to fight in the UFC, along with Henry Cejudo, Kevin Jackson and Mark Schultz. She's the only multi-time gold medalist in company history.
Harrison is one of two Olympic gold medalists to fight in the UFC since the organization was purchased by parent company Zuffa. Cejudo is the other.
Harrison is a two-time PFL women's lightweight champion. She accomplished the feat in 2019 and 2021.
Joe Pyfer vs. Kelvin Gastelum
Joe Pyfer (13-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) has earned 12 of his 13 career victories by stoppage. That includes all four of his UFC wins.
Kelvin Gastelum (18-9 MMA, 13-9 UFC) once again returns to the middleweight division after a two-fight stint at welterweight where he went 1-1.
Mario Bautista vs. Patchy Mix
Mario Bautista's (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) seven-fight UFC winning streak at bantamweight is the second-longest active streak in the division behind Dvalishvili (11).
Patchy Mix (20-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC), a former Bellator champion who went 9-1 with the promotion, makes his octagon debut.
Vicente Luque vs. Kevin Holland
Vicente Luque's (23-10-1 MMA, 16-6 UFC) 16 victories in UFC welterweight competition are tied for fourth-most in divisional history behind Neil Magny (22), Georges St-Pierre (19) and Matt Brown (17).
Luque's 14 stoppage victories in UFC welterweight competition are second-most in divisional history behind Brown (15).
Luque's eight knockout victories in UFC welterweight competition are tied with Thiago Alves and Li Jingliang for second-most in divisional history behind Brown (13).
Luque's 10 knockdowns landed in UFC welterweight competition are tied for fourth-most in divisional history behind Alves (13), Jake Ellenberger (11) and Brown (11).
Luque's six submission victories in UFC welterweight competition are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Gunnar Nelson (seven).
Luque's four D'Arce choke submission victories in UFC competition are most in company history.
Luque's nine fight-night bonuses for UFC welterweight bouts are tied with Brown for second-most in divisional history behind Chris Lytle (10).
Kevin Holland (27-13 MMA, 14-10 UFC) becomes the second fighter to make three UFC appearances in 2025. Melquizael Costa also accomplished the feat.
Holland is 5-3 since he dropped to the UFC welterweight division in March 2022.
Holland's 14 UFC victories are the most by any fighter signed from Dana White's Contender Series.
Serghei Spivac vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta
Serghei Spivac (17-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) complete 65.9 percent of his takedown attempts in UFC heavyweight competition, the best rate in divisional history.
Spivac has landed 29 takedowns in UFC heavyweight competition, the third-most in divisional history behind Curtis Blaydes (62) and Cain Velasquez (34).
Waldo Cortes-Acosta's (13-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) four-fight UFC winning streak at heavyweight is the longest active streak in the division.
Joshua Van vs. Bruno Silva
Joshua Van's (13-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) three-fight UFC winning streak at flyweight is tied for the third-longest active streak in the division behind Alexandre Pantoja (seven) and Andre Lima (four).
Van has earned five of his six UFC victories by decision.
Van lands 8.1 significant strikes per minute in UFC competition, the highest rate in company history.
Van landed 165 significant strikes at UFC 310, the second highest total in a UFC flyweight fight. Jeff Molina holds the record with 189 significant strikes landed at UFC 261.
Van, then 23, faced 22-year-old Rei Tsuruya at UFC 313 in the first matchup in UFC history between athletes both born in the 2000s.
Brendson Ribeiro vs. Azamat Murzakanov
Azamat Murzakanov's (14-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) four-fight UFC winning streak at light heavyweight is the second-longest active streak in the division behind Carlos Ulberg (eight).
Brendson Ribeiro (17-7 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has earned 16 of his 17 career victories by stoppage.
Ariane da Silva vs. Wang Cong
Ariane da Silva (16-9 MMA, 5-6 UFC) competes in her 13th UFC women's flyweight bout, tied for the third-most appearances in divisional history behind Katlyn Cerminara (14) and Andrea Lee (14).
Da Silva has scored three knockdowns in UFC women's flyweight competition, tied with Taila Santos and Molly McCann for most in divisional history.
Quillan Salkilld vs. Yanal Ashmouz
Quillan Salkilld's (8-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) earned a 19-second TKO victory at UFC 312, the second-fastest finish by a debuting lightweight in UFC history. Terrance McKinney holds the record with a seven-second win.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on X @MJCflipdascript.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Forbes
21 minutes ago
- Forbes
UFC 316 Fight Card: Odds, Lines, Prop Bets, Predictions And Picks
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - JUNE 05: (L-R) Opponents Merab Dvalishvili of Georgia and Sean O'Malley face ... More off during the UFC 316 press conference at Prudential Center on June 05, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC) Saturday's UFC 316 fight card features two bantamweight title fights at the top of the marquee. In the main event, men's UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili meets the man he took the title from, Sean O'Malley, in a rematch. Meanwhile, in the UFC 316 PPV card co-headline, Julianna Pena begins her second stint as the women's 135-pound champ against former PFL lightweight champion Kayla Harrison. Also appearing on the main card is high-profile free agent signing Patchy Mix. Mix faces Mario Bautista in a bantamweight bout. We look at the betting odds, line movement, prediction, picks, and prop bets for the UFC 316 PPV card, which takes place on Saturday, June 7 from Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The UFC 316 PPV fight card streams on ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass. NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - JUNE 05: (L-R) Opponents Merab Dvalishvili of Georgia and Sean O'Malley face ... More off during the UFC 316 press conference at Prudential Center on June 05, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC) Merab Dvalishvili (19-4), a long-time training partner of former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling stepped into the spotlight of the promotion's 135-pound division in September 2014 when he scored a unanimous decision win over then-champion Sean O'Malley in the main event of UFC 306. The 33-year-old Dvalishvili joined the UFC in 2017 as much-hyped prospect. At the time, Dvalishvili was 7-2 and had won and defended the Ring of Combat bantamweight crown. Dvalishvili did not have a smooth start to his UFC run, losing his first two fights. Falling to Frankie Saenz by decision, and the second, to Ricky Simon, via submission. In September 2018, things clicked in place for the Serra-Longo Fight Team product, and he has not lost since. Heading into UFC 306, Dvalishvili was on a 10-fight winning streak. Prior to his matchup against O'Malley, Dvalishvili had defeated Marlon Moraes, Jose Aldo, Petr Yan, and Henry Cejudo. The win over O'Malley stretched his winning streak to 11 straight. Dvalishvili extended that streak to 12 when he defended his title with a unanimous decision win over the previously unbeaten Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311. Sean O'Malley (18-2-0-1) was 7-0 with six finishes when he got the chance to fight for a UFC contract on the first season of Dana White's Contender Series back in 2017. O'Malley, scored a first-round knockout, and a UFC contract that night. He went 4-0 in his first bouts with the promotion, picking up three fight-night bonus awards for his efforts, including a brutal one-punch KO win over UFC veteran Eddie Wineland at UFC 250. The win over Wineland put O'Malley at No. 14 in the UFC bantamweight rankings and got him a fight against Marlon 'Chito' Vera. Vera won that fight by TKO, handing O'Malley the only defeat on his record. The loss to Vera knocked O'Malley out of the rankings, but he bounced back in his next fight, knocking out Thomas Almeida and earning another fight-night bonus in the process. He followed that win with a TKO win over Kris Moutinho. Despite those back-to-back wins, O'Malley remained unranked when he next stepped into the Octagon for a December 2021 matchup against Raulian Paiva. O'Malley wrapped that fight up with a knockout at the 4:42 mark of the first round. That victory put O'Malley back in the rankings. O'Malley's next bout ended in a no contest, when an eye poke in the second round left Pedro Munhoz unable to continue. Then, in October 2022, O'Malley was matched up with former UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan. He entered that contest as the +230 underdog to the -275 ex-champ. The pair went the three-round distance, with O'Malley getting the split decision nod. That victory set up O'Malley to face Sterling in August 2023. O'Malley has not fought since his loss to Dvalishvili. He is the No. 1 fighter in the official UFC bantamweight rankings. When the betting odds opened for UFC 316, the defending champ was a -325 betting favorite over the former champ. Today, Dvalishvili is listed at -275, while O'Malley comes in at +225. O'Malley has picked up 93 percent of the bets and 91 percent of the handle. Yes, O'Malley has the striking to catch Dvalishvili and turn out his lights, but let's remember, in their first meeting, O'Malley only managed to throw 89 significant strikes. In his win over Vera, O'Malley attempted a whopping 356 significant strikes. The difference between Dvalishvili and Vera was pressure. Vera was happy to stand with O'Malley, while Dvalishvili used his chain wrestling and forward pressure to put his opponent on the back foot and keep him there for almost the entire 25 minutes of that meeting, landing six takedowns on 15 attempts and racking up 10:03 of control time. Simply put, I don't think O'Malley and his team can put together a game plan that will allow the former champ to avoid the pressure of the current champ while also accumulating enough damage to sway the judges in O'Malley's favor. The betting pick is for Dvalishvili to grind out a decision win. For those looking for value on an upset, the pick is O'Malley via knockout, but be sure to place that wager in an amount you're willing to lose. NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - JUNE 05: (L-R) Opponents Julianna Pena and Kayla Harrison face off during the ... More UFC 316 press conference at Prudential Center on June 05, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC) Julianna Pena (12-5) earned her UFC contract by winning Season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter. A member of Team Tate, Pena knocked out Jessica Rakoczy in the first round of their November 2013 matchup. The win moved Pena's record to 5-2. Pena ran off three victories after that, beating Milana Dudieva, Jessica Eye and Cat Zingano before Valentina Shevchenko ended her winning streak with a January 2017 armbar submission. In October 2017 Pena announced her pregnancy. When she returned to action in July 2019, Pena defeated Nicco Montano by decision. A submission loss to De Randamie in October 2020 followed. In January 2021, Pena submitted Sara McMann. Pena, sitting at No. 3 in the women's bantamweight rankings, earned a shot at Amanda Nunes and her bantamweight title in December 2021. She entered that contest as a -650 underdog to the champ, who was the -1000 betting favorite. In one of the more shocking upsets in UFC title fight history, Pena submitted Nunes in the second round, ending the Brazilian's title reign. Pena's time at the top of the division was short, as Nunes won their July 2022 rematch by decision. Pena was set to face Nunes in a trilogy bout at UFC 289, but an injury knocked the former champ from that scrap. Nunes defeated Pena's replacement, Irene Aldana, on that card and then retired. When Pena returned to action it was at UFC 307 where she defeated then-champion Raquel Pennington via split decision. She makes her first defense of that belt at UFC 316. A two-time Olympic gold medal winner in judo (2012 and 2016), Kayla Harrison (18-1) made her MMA debut in the 155-pound division with PFL in 2018. Harrison ran over her first six opponents, picking up three submissions, two knockouts, and a decision before winning the women's lightweight title by defeating Larissa Pacheco by decision. In November 2020, Harrison defeated Courtney King by TKO in a 145-pound scrap. Shen then moved back to 155 pounds. In 2021, Harrison won the PFL 155-pound tournament with a submission win over Taylor Guardado. By 2022, Harrison had amassed a 15-0 record. However, her unbeaten ended in the finals of the 2022 PFL lightweight tourney when Pacheco scored a unanimous decision win over Harrison. The ex-champ fought once more for the PFL, beating former UFC fighter Aspen Ladd via decision in November 2023 in a 150-pound catchweight fight. In January 2024, the UFC announced it had signed Harrison and that her promotional debut would take place in the 135-pound weight class. Harrison impressed in that performance, submitting former UFC women's bantamweight champion Holly Holm by submission in the second round at UFC 400. In her next, and most recent, outing, Harrison defeated Ketlen Vieira via unanimous decision. Harrison is the No. 2 ranked fighter in the official UFC women's 135-pound rankings. When the betting odds opened for the UFC 316 co-main event, Pena was a +500 underdog to the -700 Harrison. Today, Harrison is the -750 favorite over the champ, who is the +525 betting underdog. Pena has earned 89 percent of the bets, while 63 percent of the money is on Harrison. Pena is a tough fighter, and that toughness will be tested on Saturday when she faces Harrison at UFC 316. The concern on the Harrison side of the equation is her ability to make 135 pounds and rehydrate and recover. The weight cut will be tough, there's no doubt about that, but Harrison has been a high-level athlete for a long while, and she knows her body and how far she can push herself. That's a plus in this matchup; it could also mean that she will pace herself against Pena so that she does not overextend herself and run out of gas. Harrison is the better athlete and has more routes to victory than Pena. The betting pick is a Harrison win, either by late submission or decision. With the odds being what they are, the value pick is Pena to win via upset, but that's a wager that one should be careful in making. NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - JUNE 05: (L-R) Opponents Kelvin Gastelum and Joe Pyfer face off during the UFC ... More 316 press conference at Prudential Center on June 05, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC) Kelvin Gastelum (19-9-0-1) has been with the UFC since April 2013, when he won Season 17 of 'The Ultimate Fighter' with a split decision over Uriah Hall. The victory over Hall put Gastelum's professional record at 7-0. Gastelum dropped to welterweight for his next UFC fight. He remained unbeaten through 2014, losing his first fight in January 2015 when Tyron Woodley defeated him via split decision. Gastelum missed weight for the Woodley matchup, coming in at 180. It was not his first issue on the scale as a member of the UFC roster. He also came in heavy for his June 2014 win over Nico Musoke, weighing 172.75. Weight issues have plagued Gastelum throughout his UFC career, as he has struggled at times to make welterweight and middleweight. Gastelum's career has been up and down since his loss to Woodley. Since that 2015 clash, his record stands at 8-8-0-1, and he has not won more than two fights in a row. The 33-year-old is a very talented fighter, but his struggles to make weight and consistency issues inside the cage have hurt him. The high point of Gastelum's career is his 2019 interim UFC middleweight title fight opposite Israel Adesanya, a bout that recently enshrined the two men in the UFC Hall of Fame. Gastelum has a 3-6 record dating back to April 2019, when he faced Adesanya. He is coming off a June 2024 unanimous decision win over Daniel Rodriguez. Joe Pyfer (13-3) had a first go at gaining a UFC contract in 2020 at a Dana White Contender Series event. At the time, the 23-year-old was 7-1. His only career loss to that point was a second-round submission setback to Jhonoven Pati under the Ring of Combat banner. Pyfer lost the ROC middleweight championship in that outing. Pyfer faced Dustin Stoltzfus on that DWCS card. Pyfer looked good in the early going of that matchup, walking down his foe and looking to land powerful strikes. With a bit over two minutes left in the first round, Pyfer scored an easy takedown on Stoltzfus, who calmly looked to set up a submission while Pyfer did his best to create openings to land heavy ground strikes. With the clock ticking down, Stoltzfus stood and went for a slam takedown. Pyfer landed with all his weight on his extended right arm, causing an injury that ended the fight. Pyfer recovered from that injury, but he did not fight again until he earned a first-round knockout win over Austin Trotman on a Cage Fury fight card. The UFC gave Pyfer a second opportunity to earn a contract in July 2022. Pyfer faced Ozzy Diaz on a DWCS card. Pyfer was a +100 betting underdog at that event. Pyfer didn't mess around on the feet against Diaz. He scored a takedown inside the first minute and then worked for a submission until Diaz reversed Pyfer with two minutes left in the round. Diaz could not keep Pyfer on the mat, as Pyfer worked back to his feet, where he scored with low kicks and an effective jab. In the second stanza, Pyfer pressured Diaz and then, showing off his power, ended the fight with a powerful left hook that put his opponent on his back. In awarding Pyfer a UFC contract, UFC CEO Dana White said, "If you want to get into the UFC, and this is where you want to be, act like Joe Pyfer. Okay? Be Joe Pyfer. Be excited to be here. Be fired up to fight. Try to finish the fight. Try to win. Be Joe Pyfer, and you will get into the UFC." Pyfer put together a 3-0 run under the UFC banner between September 2022 and October 2023, scoring three stoppages and two 'Performance of the Night' bonuses. Seeing promise in Pyfer, the UFC booked him in a main event against veteran Jack Hermansson in February 2024. Pyfer was a favorite in that matchup, but he fell short, as Hermansson's veteran skills showed gaps in Pyfer's game. Pyfer rebounded from that loss with a first-round knockout win over Marc-André Barriault at UFC 303. The odds have held on this matchup with Gastelum at +310 and Pyfer at -400. Bettors are siding with the veteran. Gastelum has 75 percent of the bets and 63 percent of the handle. Gastelum has one of the best chins in the business, and if Pyfer gets too aggressive and thinks he will be able to put his opponent away based on his power, things might get tricky for the younger fighter. Pyfer's best bet is not to chase the knockout here but to use his power to rack up damage while being sound defensively. The betting pick is for Joe Pyfer to beat Kelvin Gastelum by decision. However, for those who do not have faith in Pyfer's fight IQ, a Gastelum upset win via decision is a value betting pick to think about. NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - JUNE 05: (L-R) Opponents Mario Bautista and Patchy Mix face off during the UFC ... More 316 press conference at Prudential Center on June 05, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC) Patchy Mix (20-1) comes too the UFC following his release by PFL. The 31-year-old Mix is riding a seven-fight undefeated streak. He won the interim Bellator bantamweight title in April 2023 with a knockout victory over Raufeon Stots. Then, in November 2023, Mix unified the Bellator 135-pound titles with a submission victory over Sergio Pettis. In his most recent outing, Mix defended his crown with a split decision win over Magomed Magomedov in May 2024. Mix's only professional defeat came in September 2020 when Juan Archuleta defeated him via unanimous decision in a contest for the vacant Bellator bantamweight crown. Mario Bautista (15-2) has been with the UFC since 2019. The 31-year-old opened his UFC run with a 2-2 record, but he is unbeaten since early 2022, with a run of seven straight wins. In his most recent outing, Bautista defeated Jose Aldo via split decision at UFC 307 in October 2024. The opening odds for this matchup had Mix as the -175 favorite over Bautista, who came in at +145. Today, Mix is the -200 betting favorite and Bautista is the +165 betting underdog. Mix has 51 percent of the action and 75 percent of the handle. Mix enters UFC 316 coming off a long layoff. His last bout took place in May 2024 when he went five rounds in beating Magomed Magomedov in defense of his Bellator bantamweight belt. When you combine that layoff with the fact that Mix is taking this fight on short notice, there is some room for concern when it comes to Mix's fitness level. However, Mix and his team know how important this fight is to his career and future UFC prospects, so I believe he will be ready for his Octagon debut. I expect Bautista to move forward and to look to overwhelm Mix with striking. However, that pressure could allow Mix to implement his game plan of getting the fight to mat and working his ground skills (Mix has 13 submission wins). The betting pick is for Mix to win via decision, with a chance of picking up a submission. NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - JUNE 05: (L-R) Opponents Vicente Luque and Kevin Holland face off during the ... More UFC 316 press conference at Prudential Center on June 05, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC) Vicente Luque (23-10-1) enters UFC 316 as the No. 14 fighter in the official UFC welterweight rankings. The 33-year-old has been with the UFC since July 2015. Luque had some good winning streaks in his early days with the UFC, putting together winning runs of four fights, six fights, and four fights, but whenever he stepped up to face top-level competition, he faltered. The opponents who ended Luque's winning runs were Leon Edwards, Stephen Thompson, and Belal Muhammad. Luque is 2-2 since losing to Muhammad in 2022. He has wins over Rafael dos Anjos and Themba Gorimbo, while his losses have come via knockout against Geoff Neal and Joaquin Buckley. In his most recent outing, Luque earned a technical submission stoppage over Gorimbo. That fight took place in December. Kevin Holland (27-13-0-1) was 12-3 when he earned his shot at a UFC contract on a Dana White's Contender Series card in June 2018. Despite getting a win, UFC CEO Dana White did not offer Holland a contract. However, Holland got the chance to fight for the UFC in August 2018 when Thiago Santos needed a short-notice opponent. Holland has been one of the more active UFC competitors since losing that contest by decision, fighting at middleweight and welterweight. Holland followed the loss to Santos with an 8-1 run, a stretch that included five victories between May 2020 and December 2020. His last win of that run was a 'Performance of the Night' bonus-winning knockout of ex-Strikeforce champion Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza. Holland's career has been up-and-down since the highlight-reel win over Souza. He has a 5-7-0-1 record since then, never winning, or losing, more than two fights in a row. Holland is 2-2 in his past four outings with a submission win over Michal Oleksiejczuk, a corner stoppage TKO loss to Roman Dolidze, a submission setback to Reinier de Ridder, and most recently, a decision win over Gunnar Nelson in March. When the lines opened on this contest, Holland was a -200 favorite over the +165 Luque. The betting line has moved on this one. Today, Holland is -275 to Luque's +220. Luque has earned 73 percent of the bets, while Holland has picked up 61 percent of the handle. Holland is a talented fighter, but the problem with Holland is his consistency. At points, it seems as if Holland is more interested in booking fights and earning a paycheck than he is interested in being competitive in those bouts. And while Luque has had his ups and downs, he seems to take his career more seriously than Holland. Holland has an advantage in height and reach in this bout, and if he can use those strengths, he has a good chance of picking up the win. However, Luque is effective in spots where Holland struggles, mainly in takedown defense. The betting pick in this bout is to go where there is value, and that is Luque to use his wrestling to grind out a decision win over Holland. Sean O'Malley by KO/TKO or DQ +450 O'Malley by Decision/Technical Decision +600 Patchy Mix by Submission +200 Merab Dvalishvili by Submission +800 O'Malley by Submission +2500 *All bets and odds via BetMGM Saturday, June 7, 2025 Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey Main Card: ESPN+ PPV Preliminary Card: ESPN and ESPN+ Early Prelims: UFC Fight Pass and ESPN+ Early Prelims: 6:00 p.m. ET Prelims: 8:00 p.m. ET Main Card: 10:00 p.m. ET Stay tuned for more coverage from the UFC 316 fight card. Including live UFC 316 results, reactions, recaps and video highlights during Saturday's event.
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
2025 U.S. Nationals: 16-year-old swimmer Luka Mijatovic sets two new records with historic 400m freestyle
Luka Mijatovic continues to set records at the U.S. Nationals. (Photo by) Luka Mijatovic continues to turn heads at the U.S. Nationals. A few days after breaking a record previously set by Michael Phelps, the 16-year-old Mijatovic was at it again Friday. This time around, Mijatovic decided to break his own record in the 400m freestyle. Mijatovic turned in a 3:45.89 performance, beating his previous record — which he set in March — by three seconds. That time not only set a new record for the 15-16 age group, but also broke a record for the 17-18 age group. Larsen Jensen previously held the record in the 17-18 age group with a 3:46.08 that he set in 2004. Advertisement Mijatovic accomplished the same feat Wednesday in the 200m freestyle. He swam the event in 1:45.92, breaking the record in the 15-16 age group. That figure also broke the record in the 17-18 age group, which was previously held by Phelps. The sky appears to be the limit for Mijatovic, who is considered the top high-school swimmer in California. Mijatovic was already a name to watch for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. His performance at the U.S. Nationals — which began Tuesday — further solidified his status as an Olympic-hopeful. The 2025 U.S. Swimming Championships will run through Saturday at the Indiana University Natatorium. A number of Americans, including Katie Ledecky and Bobby Finke, have turned in fantastic performances at the event. Winners of individual events will qualify for the World Championships in July and August.
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Roldan wins Tour of Britain stage two in Saltburn as Faulkner takes overall lead
Mara Roldan crosses the finish line in Saltburn-by-the-Sea to win stage two of the Tour of Britain Women. Mara Roldan crosses the finish line in Saltburn-by-the-Sea to win stage two of the Tour of Britain Women. Photograph: Danny Lawson/PA Mara Roldan pulled off a successful late breakaway on the steep approach to Saltburn-by-the-Sea, winning the second stage of the Tour of Britain Women by 12 seconds. The 21-year-old, who rides for Picnic-PostNL, made a push for victory with 14km to go and held on to win ahead of Riejanne Markus (Lidl-Trek). British teenager Cat Ferguson (Movistar) finished fifth for the second stage in a row, just behind third-placed Ally Wollaston (FDJ-Suez) and Roldan's teammate Megan Jastrab. Advertisement Also in the chasing group was Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Oatly), who finished ninth but did enough to take the overall leader's green jersey. Faulkner, the Olympic road race champion in Paris, leads a frustrated Markus by just four seconds. Ferguson is fourth behind Wollaston, 14 seconds off Faulkner's mark, with two stages to go. The day began at Hartlepool docks in wet conditions, with stage one winner and overall leader Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal) falling early to all but end her GC chances. Le Court sits 21st overall after stage two, while the two-times former winner, Lizzie Deignan (Lidl-Trek) is down in 16th place. Stage three on Saturday will start and end in Kelso as riders take a circuitous 148.7km route through the Scottish Borders. The race concludes with a 10-lap circuit around Glasgow city centre on Sunday.