Zhang Mingyang calls out Jiri Prochzaka after UFC Kansas City finish of Anthony Smith
Zhang Mingyang calls out Jiri Prochzaka after UFC Kansas City finish of Anthony Smith Chinese light heavyweight has 12 straight first-round wins, three straight UFC bonuses.
Zhang Mingyang is looking for a big step up in competition after UFC on ESPN 66.
Mingyang (19-6 MMA, 3-0 UFC) scored yet another first-round TKO when he stopped Anthony Smith (37-22 MMA, 13-12 UFC) in Saturday's co-main event at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo. With the rising light heavyweight continuing to make quick work of his opposition, Mingyang thinks it's time he aimed high.
He called out former champion Jiri Prochazka (31-5-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC), who's coming off a knockout of fellow ex-champ Jamahal Hill at UFC 311.
"Next fight, I want Jiri Prochazka," Mingyang told Full Send MMA after the win. "I watched your fight in Singapore, and you won your belt in that fight. I like your style. I respect your warrior spirit. Although you are not the champion anymore, I would like to fight you to test myself."
Mingyang embraced the boos from the crowd after he spoiled Smith's retirement party.
"Boo me again, let me hear that," Mingyang said in his post-fight octagon interview. "I know you don't know who I am, but if you don't know, now you know."
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USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
UFC 316 predictions: We like one ‘and still,' one ‘and new' in Newark —\u00a0but whom?
UFC 316 predictions: We like one 'and still,' one 'and new' in Newark — but whom? The UFC makes its return to New Jersey this week both bantamweight titles on the line at the top of the bill. UFC 316 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Prudential Center in Newark. Get pick results from our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers, as well as additional analysis, below. Kevin Holland vs. Vicente Luque Records: Holland (27-13 MMA, 14-10 UFC), Luque (23-10-1 MMA, 16-6 UFC) Holland (27-13 MMA, 14-10 UFC), Luque (23-10-1 MMA, 16-6 UFC) Past five: Holland 2-3, Luque 2-3 Holland 2-3, Luque 2-3 Division: Welterweight Welterweight Rankings: Luque honorable mention Luque honorable mention Odds (as of 06.07.25): Holland -280, Luque +225 Holland -280, Luque +225 Junkie pick results: Luque 7, Holland 4 Mario Bautista vs. Patchy Mix Records: Bautista (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC), Mix (20-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) Bautista (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC), Mix (20-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) Past five: Bautista 5-0, Mix 5-0 Bautista 5-0, Mix 5-0 Division: Bantamweight Bantamweight Rankings: Mix No. 6, Bautista No. 7 Mix No. 6, Bautista No. 7 Odds (as of 06.07.25): Bautista +150, Mix -180 Bautista +150, Mix -180 Junkie pick results: Mix 11, Bautista 0 Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer Records: Gastelum (20-9 MMA, 13-9 UFC), Pyfer (13-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) Gastelum (20-9 MMA, 13-9 UFC), Pyfer (13-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) Past five: Gastelum 2-3, Pyfer 4-1 Gastelum 2-3, Pyfer 4-1 Division: Middleweight Middleweight Rankings: None None Odds (as of 06.07.25): Gastelum +295, Pyfer -375 Gastelum +295, Pyfer -375 Junkie pick results: Pyer 8, Gastelum 3 Julianna Peña vs. Kayla Harrison Records: Peña (13-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC), Harrison (18-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) Peña (13-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC), Harrison (18-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) Past five: Peña 3-2, Harrison 4-1 Peña 3-2, Harrison 4-1 Division: Women's bantamweight Women's bantamweight Rankings: Peña No. 1, No. 5 pound-for-pound; Harrison No. 3, No. 7 pound-for-pound Peña No. 1, No. 5 pound-for-pound; Harrison No. 3, No. 7 pound-for-pound Odds (as of 06.07.25): Peña +525, Harrison -750 Peña +525, Harrison -750 Junkie pick results: Harrison 11, Peña 0 Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O'Malley Records: Dvalishvili (19-4 MMA, 12-2 UFC), O'Malley (18-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) Dvalishvili (19-4 MMA, 12-2 UFC), O'Malley (18-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) Past five: Dvalishvili 5-0, O'Malley 4-1 Dvalishvili 5-0, O'Malley 4-1 Division: Bantamweight Bantamweight Rankings: Dvalishvili No. 1, No. 6 pound-for-pound; O'Malley No. 2, No. 14 pound-for-pound Dvalishvili No. 1, No. 6 pound-for-pound; O'Malley No. 2, No. 14 pound-for-pound Odds (as of 06.07.25): Dvalishvili -285, O'Malley +230 Dvalishvili -285, O'Malley +230 Junkie pick results: Dvalishvili 11, O'Malley 0 Individual staff member picks, main card Readers 65-46: Dvalishvili (68%), Harrison (79%), Pyfer (69%), Mix (77%), Holland (53%) Farah Hannoun 72-39: Dvalishvili, Harrison, Pyfer, Mix, Luque Dvalishvili, Harrison, Pyfer, Mix, Luque Mike Bohn 71-40: Dvalishvili, Harrison, Pyfer, Mix, Luque Dvalishvili, Harrison, Pyfer, Mix, Luque Nolan King 71-40: Dvalishvili, Harrison, Pyfer, Mix, Luque Dvalishvili, Harrison, Pyfer, Mix, Luque Abbey Subhan 69-42: Dvalishvili, Harrison, Gastelum, Mix, Holland Dvalishvili, Harrison, Gastelum, Mix, Holland Kenny Hathaway 68-43: Dvalishvili, Harrison, Pyfer, Mix, Holland Dvalishvili, Harrison, Pyfer, Mix, Holland Matt Erickson 68-43: Dvalishvili, Harrison, Pyfer, Mix, Luque Dvalishvili, Harrison, Pyfer, Mix, Luque Simon Samano 65-46: Dvalishvili, Harrison, Gastelum, Mix, Holland Dvalishvili, Harrison, Gastelum, Mix, Holland Brian Garcia 64-47: Dvalishvili, Harrison, Pyfer, Mix, Luque Dvalishvili, Harrison, Pyfer, Mix, Luque Danny Segura 63-48: Dvalishvili, Harrison, Pyfer, Mix, Luque Dvalishvili, Harrison, Pyfer, Mix, Luque George Garcia 61-50: Dvalishvili, Harrison, Gastelum, Mix, Luque Dvalishvili, Harrison, Gastelum, Mix, Luque Matthew Wells 60-51: Dvalishvili, Harrison, Pyfer, Mix, Holland Preliminary card picks Although they don't count toward the standings, MMA Junkie staff members still pick the fights on the prelims. Here are the results:
Forbes
2 hours ago
- Forbes
UFC Tonight: What Time Does The UFC 316 Fight Card Start?
The UFC 316 pay-per-view fight card goes down tonight in Newark, New Jersey. The men's and women's bantamweight titles are both on the line at the top of the fight card. 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-headliner, 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. The UFC 316 PPV fight card streams on ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass. Below, we look at details for the UFC 316 main card bouts and the start time for each portion of the UFC 316 fight card Date: Saturday, June 7, 2025 Location: Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey Main Card Start Time: 10:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+ Pay-Per-View Preliminary Card Start Time: 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN, ESPN+ Early Prelims Start Time: 6:00 p.m ET on ESPN+, UFC Fight Pass Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O'Malley - Men's bantamweight title fight Julianna Peña vs. Kayla Harrison - Women's bantamweight title fight Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer - Middleweight Mario Bautista vs. Patchy Mix - Bantamweight Vicente Luque vs. Kevin Holland - Welterweight Bruno Silva vs. Joshua Van - Flyweight Azamat Murzakanov vs. Brendson Ribeiro - Light Heavyweight Serghei Spivac vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta - Heavyweight Khaos Williams vs. Andreas Gustafsson - Welterweight Ariane da Silva vs. Wang Cong - Catchweight (132 Pounds) Jeka Saragih vs. Yoo Joo-sang - Featherweight Quillan Salkilld vs. Yanal Ashmouz - Lightweight MarQuel Mederos vs. Mark Choinski - Lightweight 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Stay tuned for more coverage from the UFC 316 fight card. Including live UFC 316 results, reactions, recaps and video highlights during tonight's event.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
UFC 316 live updates: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O'Malley 2 results, round-by-round analysis and highlights
Uncrowned has UFC 316 live results, round-by-round updates, start time and highlights for the Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O'Malley 2 and Julianna Peña vs. Kayla Harrison fight card on Saturday night at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. UFC bantamweight champion Dvalishvili defends his title in a rematch against O'Malley in the night's five-round main event, while Peña begins her second reign as bantamweight champion with a five-round grudge match against Harrison in the co-headliner. Dvalishvili (19-4) is Uncrowned's No. 3 pound-for-pound fighter in the world. He enters Saturday riding the longest win streak in UFC bantamweight division history, having secured 11 straight victories en route to his O'Malley title rematch. A native of Georgia who's aptly nicknamed "The Machine" for his seemingly endless cardio, Dvalishvili, 34, captured the belt this past September with a decision win over O'Malley, then successfully defended it with a thrilling performance over Umar Nurmagomedov in January. Dvalishvili also holds notable wins over former UFC champions Henry Cejudo, Petr Yan and Jose Aldo. Advertisement O'Malley (18-2, 1 NC) has not competed since dropping his belt to Dvalishvili in the UFC's lone visit to the Las Vegas Sphere. Perhaps the biggest name in the UFC bantamweight division, O'Malley, 30, earned his first title shot in 2022 with a thrilling victory over Yan, then memorably knocked out Aljamain Sterling to secure the belt in 2023. O'Malley's lone defense of his strap came in a March 2024 rout of Marlon "Chito" Vera, after which his seven-fight win streak came to a screeching end against Dvalishvili. The evening's co-main event is a battle of pound-for-pound stars as No. 5-ranked Peña (12-5) defends her UFC women's bantamweight belt against No. 4-ranked Harrison (18-1). Peña won the title to kick off her second reign with a split decision over Raquel Pennington this past October, while Harrison — a two-time Olympic champion and two-time PFL champion — is a perfect 2-0 thus far under the UFC umbrella. Advertisement The UFC 316 start time for the preliminary card is at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+ and Disney+. The main card begins live at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ pay-per-view. Follow along with Uncrowned's live UFC 316: Dvalishvili vs. O'Malley 2 results, highlights and live blog below, including round-by-round play-by-play for the final seven bouts of the night. Main Card (ESPN+ PPV, 10 p.m. ET) Bantamweight championship: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O'Malley Women's bantamweight championship: Julianna Peña vs. Kayla Harrison Middleweight: Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer Bantamweight: Mario Bautista vs. Patchy Mix Welterweight: Vicente Luque vs. Kevin Holland Prelims (ESPN/ESPN+/Disney+, 8 p.m. ET) Flyweight: Bruno Silva vs. Joshua Van Advertisement Light heavyweight: Azamat Murzakanov vs. Brendson Ribeiro Heavyweight: Serghei Spivac vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta Welterweight: Khaos Williams vs. Andreas Gustafsson Early prelims (ESPN+/Disney+, 6 p.m. ET) 132-pound catchweight: Ariane da Silva vs. Wang Cong Featherweight: Jeka Saragih vs. Joo Sang Yoo Lightweight: Quillan Salkilld vs. Yanal Ashmouz Lightweight: MarQuel Mederos vs. Mark Choinski
