Merab Dvalishvili crushes Sean O'Malley in UFC 316 rematch to stake claim as bantamweight GOAT
Merab Dvalishvili produced another dominant title defence to submit Sean O'Malley in their rematch at UFC 316 and stake his claim as the greatest bantamweight of all time.
Dvalishvili made his second defence of the belt, having dethroned O'Malley with a comprehensive decision win in September, before outpointing Umar Nurmagomedov in a stunning comeback in January.
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The Georgian quickly took control of the bout, impressing with his sharp striking before he even got going on the mat and taking the first two rounds.
He was then able to bring the fight to the ground in the third, where he suffocated O'Malley before locking in a neck crank to force a tap - his first finish of what is becoming an era-defining title reign.
A relentless fighter who currently looks near-impossible to stop, his resume warrants inclusion in the GOAT conversation, having defeated the likes of Jose Aldo, Henry Cejudo and Petr Yan - all former champions - on his way to the mountain top.
Next up for the champion could be Cory Sandhagen, who he called out in his post-fight interview - a potential clash that fans will no doubt clamour at.
Merab Dvalishvili is fast stamping his mark in the bantamweight GOAT conversation (Getty Images)
Dvalishvili's triumph came after Kayla Harrison dethroned Julianna Pena in the co-main event to become the UFC's bantamweight queen, submitting Pena in the second to live up to her favourable odds and join Cejudo as only the second athlete ever to boast an Olympic gold medal and UFC gold on their resume.
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She promptly used the throne to invite Amanda Nunes into the cage and offer her a route out of retirement, a proposal the women's MMA great accepted to set up a mouth-watering title clash.
Also in action was former Bellator champion Patchy Mix, whose UFC debut proved incredibly underwhelming as he lost convincingly to Mario Bautista.
Kayla Harrison was crowned champion at UFC 316 (Getty Images)
Mix was flat-footed and only hinted at going up the gears with 30 seconds left of the fight, losing by unanimous decision and getting his UFC career off to the worst possible start.
Fan favourite Kevin Holland kicked off the main card with a submission victory over Vicente Luque, sinking in a D'Arce choke that put an end to an entertaining opener that lived up to expectation.
Joe Pyfer was also victorious on the main card albeit by a frustrating decision, with the ever-resilient Kelvin Gastelum fighting back from a nightmare first round to force the fight to the scorecards.
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UFC 316 preview: If Sean O'Malley loses again to Merab Dvalishvili, is this the end?
It's a bantamweight showcase as the UFC heads back to New Jersey this weekend, with titles on the line in both the men's and women's 135-pound divisions. On the men's side it's a rematch, as 'Suga' Sean O'Malley tries to win back the title he lost at UFC 306 in September against Merab Dvalishvili. On the women's side, it's the ushering in of a new era, as Kayla Harrison — the Olympic judoka who has made it her mission to win a UFC title — arrives as a massive favorite to overthrow Julianna Peña. Or is it the dawn of a new era? Advertisement Let's jump right in with five burning questions heading into UFC 316. 1. Sean O'Malley gave up his favorite pastimes — marijuana, social media, masturbation — to better focus for this rematch. He's all in! Is this the end of the 'Suga Show' if he loses? Petesy Carroll: It would be the end of me full-stop, man. I'm kind of perplexed by it all. Certainly, two of these three things were foundational elements of the 'Suga' brand and then to add to that there's the abstaining from social media … I'm kidding. Well, kind of, is O'Malley getting into golf now or what's he doing to fill the void? Is he crocheting? Did he get a New York Times subscription and start playing Sudoku? Feels like he's treating this like a do-or-die fight. That said if he loses, I expect him to move up to featherweight and return to his old puffing, typing and … well you get the point, he'd start doing all of those things again, right? Chuck Mindenhall: Doesn't it feel 'Suga' Sean is forever, like, 26 years old? It's odd that he's now 30, which is right around that age when we like to say a fighter is 'peaking.' If he can clear the Merab hurdle, I think he'd skyrocket back into that star area he was in before being humbled at the Sphere, with all those vices he's sacrificing for this fight once again at the core of his being. Advertisement I also think he moves up to featherweight if he loses, as being behind the Merab eight-ball is a nihilistic situation. With guys like O'Malley, there are still plenty of options ahead, all of which I am sure he'd just assume avoid. What becomes of "Suga" Sean O'Malley should he lose again to Merab Dvalishvili? (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) (Chris Unger via Getty Images) 2. Are you disturbed by the lack of heat for this rematch? Merab and O'Malley have been so respectful in the lead-up, haven't they? Chuck: The last time through was different, as O'Malley was holding the title and treating Merab like a nuisance to be dealt with … and we all knew he was much more than a nuisance. All the shots they were taking at each other felt more playful than anything else, strictly for entertainment purposes. I didn't sense a lot of genuine heat, outside of Tim Welch's contributions to the mix. Advertisement This time through it has been very quiet. Not just with the principals in play, but in general. I haven't heard anybody outside of the MMA spectrum mention that O'Malley is fighting this weekend, which is startling, no? Petesy: Let's be honest, 'Lack of Heat' could be title of a Netflix documentary about UFC's start to 2025. I don't know if it's anything to do with the switch up in dynamic between the lads as much as it's just fan fatigue at this point. Being a UFC fan in 2025 is like being in a semi-serious relationship. You're expected to give up a day of your life every week regardless of the stakes, intrigue or ability on display on these cards. When a genuinely good one comes along like this, I think it's just difficult for everyone to switch into the 'excitement' gear. I do think it's a really good card, but I can't remember the last time we were all frothing at the mouth for a UFC pay-per-view. It certainly hasn't been over the five months, and that's pretty sad. All in all, I guess it's that situation that I find more disturbing than anything else but replies on X would have me believe I'm a jaded old fool and I need to lose some weight, but that's beside the point. 3. What is Julianna Peña's path to victory over the massive favorite, Kayla Harrison? Petesy: I won't let Julianna Peña's disrespect of my nationality or her claims that I want to be pegged by Kayla Harrison color my opinion on this one, Chuck. But, let it be known that a lesser man would. Why would she makes such claims, you ask? Well, it's because I'm the only one on the entire hosting staff of "The Ariel Helwani Show" that picked — *checks notes* — the biggest betting favorite a challenger has ever been in the history of UFC, in this case Harrison, to have her hand raised on Saturday night. Advertisement Be that as it may, I think Peña can absolutely get the job done. We've witnessed her shock the world before against Amanda Nunes and if she can keep this fight standing and keep her lead hand in Harrison's face, the Olympic gold medalist might be left with a lot to do by the time the championship rounds kick in. Let the record show that I don't think that will happen, though. Chuck: Julianna really said all that? About the pegging? Damn, I must've missed that segment. One of the reasons she has been a two-time champion in this sport is because she takes little sleights like that and packs it into her resolve. Nobody carries a chip like the "Venezuelan Vixen," Petesy, and I admire that you stuck to your guns on this. My thing with Harrison is the same as always. How much will that weight cut take out of her in the end? She has now been living on a restrictive diet for well over a year and getting down to 135 pounds is a recurring hell. One of these times it will come back to bite her, and we'll hear about it afterward. Will that be this time? Advertisement I think Harrison will win this fight, because I think she'll get it to the ground and do work there. Yet, I will say Peña is a live dog. We saw Ketlen Vieira survive to see the scorecards with Harrison, which made her seem … less inevitable. If she can't get the fight where she wants it? Things might get interesting in a hurry. Patchy Mix (20-1, 2 KOs), former Bellator bantamweight championship, makes his UFC debut at UFC 316. (Photo by Matt Davies/PxImages/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) (Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) 4. Of all the Bellator fighters who've come over to UFC, where do you rank Patchy Mix ahead of his fight with Mario Bautista? Chuck: We've seen some good ones come through from Bellator over the years, including Eddie Alvarez, Michael Chandler and Alexander Volkov back in the day, along with Patricio Pitbull, Aaron Pico and Michael 'Venom' Page more recently. I would place Patchy Mix right up there among the best of the bunch for one reason: He's very much still in his prime. Advertisement He is 31 years old and just hitting on all cylinders, having won seven fights in a row. He hasn't taken nearly as much damage as Alvarez and Chandler (who inflicted plenty of it on each other), and he's far more proven as a former champion than, say, Pico. There's a good possibility that if Mix beats Bautista that he's catapulted into the top space to be challenging for a title, and I think he'll get his shot at some point in the near future. Petesy: I think he might be the best. There have been greats in the past, as Alvarez famously went on to claim the lightweight title after making the transition. Eddie was a year younger than Patchy when he made the move but I also think that he joined a lightweight division that wasn't as healthy as the current situation we see in the UFC's bantamweight class. 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I will see if I can get in a word edgewise with you two yappers, but one thing I know for certain we'll be discussing? The return of the great Kelvin Gastelum. I kid, of course. (How is Gastelum still appearing on these cards? His nickname should be the 'Cockroach,' because you just can't kill him.) There's a reason they put that Luque-Holland fight at the top of the PPV, and it's not because they are brilliant technicians, Petesy. With no real care about title shots or any of the worldly structures the UFC has put up, their whole mission is to tear it all down. It's a fight with next to no perceptible stakes, which is some serious Chris Leben territory. Action is the only goal. To live-for-the-now and to put on a show. I think this one delivers.
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UFC 316 Results: Sean O'Malley Has Been Left With Just 1 Option
Sean O'Malley is in a tough spot. He trained hard, prepared, and did everything within his power to regain the UFC men's bantamweight title on Saturday night at the Prudential Center in New Jersey during the UFC 316 main event, but he fell to champion Merab Dvalishvili for the second straight time. To put it plainly, Dvalishvili is a nightmare matchup for any bantamweight, and O'Malley is not the exception. After having defeated O'Malley via decision in September 2024 at Noche UFC, Dvalishvili was even more dominant on Saturday. The champion successfully defended his title via third-round submission. Because O'Malley has now suffered back-to-back losses to Dvalishvili, he appears to be down to just one option if he hopes to advance his career and return to championship glory: O'Malley needs to move up to featherweight. As long as Dvalishvili is the champion at 135 pounds, it will be a long time before O'Malley gets another title shot. Cory Sandhagen and Petr Yan both seem more likely to get their title shot before O'Malley re-enters the conversation about the former champion's title contention. Does O'Malley want to wait years for another title shot? Probably not. O'Malley is still a star and a huge draw. The crowd in New Jersey was loud in favor of the Helena, Montana native. Finding a worthy dance partner ranked below him in the bantamweight division will be tough, and it doesn't make a ton of sense for O'Malley. Also, there is a chance he can walk right into a high-profile fight in the featherweight division. At 5-foot-11, the 30-year-old O'Malley is not too small for the 145-pound weight class. In fact, you could make the argument O'Malley might be the favorite to defeat at least 10 of the fighters in the featherweight rankings. There's also a plethora of interesting fights O'Malley could have in the featherweight division. O'Malley vs. any of these featherweight contenders is a main card fight on a pay-per-view card: Josh Emmett, Yair Rodriguez, Jean Silva, Lerone Murphy, Aljamain Sterling (rematch), or Diego Lopes. After the fight on Saturday night, a visibly dejected but highly respectful O'Malley said he was going to go home to his family to regroup. It should not come as a surprise if he announces plans to move up to featherweight ahead of his next fight. In case you missed it, here is a look at all of the results from New Jersey on Saturday night. Dvalishvili, Harrison, Kevin Holland and JooSang Yoo
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Advertisement Which teams were the biggest winners in the spring transfer portal window for the 2025 college football season? Athlon Sports breaks down the 10 biggest winners: College Football's Biggest Winners in the Spring Transfer Portal Window Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart© Dale Zanine-Imagn Images Georgia The Bulldogs addressed their biggest needs in the first window by landing receivers Noah Thomas (Texas A&M) and Zachariah Branch (USC). Additionally, with depth in the secondary a concern, coach Kirby Smart added three potential contributors for '25. Although Smart filled the team's needs, it didn't stop Georgia from shopping in the portal this spring. Running back Josh McCray (Illinois) will help spell starter Nate Frazier, while offensive lineman Waltclaire Flynn Jr. (UCF) and defensive tackle Josh Horton (Miami) add depth in the trenches. Advertisement Army edge rusher Elo Modozie was one of the spring's most intriguing transfers. 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