
Aljamain Sterling doesn't get Sean O'Malley's stardom: 'His personality is a little dry'
Aljamain Sterling doesn't get Sean O'Malley's stardom: 'His personality is a little dry'
Aljamain Sterling is confused by UFC 316 headliner Sean O'Malley's star power.
O'Malley (18-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) runs things back with Merab Dvalishvili (19-4 MMA, 12-2 UFC) in Saturday's main event (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
Sterling lost his bantamweight title to O'Malley at UFC 292, before his teammate Dvalishvili dethroned O'Malley to become champion at UFC 306. "The Funkmaster" previously said his fight with O'Malley didn't deliver the pay-per-view buys he expected, and that the idea of him being a big star may be a myth.
"I don't really know his personality outside of when he's asking me constantly about my weight, or asking other fighters how much they weigh in person," Sterling told Home of Fight. "That's always been my interaction with him: 'How much do you weigh right now?' So I don't really have much to go of off.
"I've always said his personality was a little dry, in my opinion, and I didn't really understand the stardom other than his fight skills. He's a very good fighter. He had a lot of good knockouts and highlights. That's usually good when you're fighting not-so-good people."
O'Malley revealed that he went into his first fight with Dvalishvili with a torn labrum in his hip, which he underwent surgery for after the fight. When Sterling fought O'Malley, it was just three months after he had retained his belt against Henry Cejudo in a five-round battle at UFC 288.
"Isn't that funny? Isn't that funny that he's all of a sudden healthy, but for some reason I was making excuses when we fought, had to turn around (fast) after just going 25 minutes with a former two-division champion?" Sterling said. "You could say whatever you want. I had to take a whole month off just to let my legs heal, and somehow that had no bearing on the fight in his fanbase's mind.
"But anyone, as a combat sports athlete, understands the game. You have to be mentally ready and physically prepared in order to step in there, so I think it's perfect timing with the irony. Karma has a way of playing funny games, and now he sees how it feels. Even if he had two good hips, I really don't think on that day he was beating Merab."

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Forbes
an hour 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.


New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
UFC 316 predictions, odds: Full picks for prelims and main card in Newark
Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission if you sign up through our links. Read our editorial standards for more information. Live from Newark, N.J., UFC 316 is jam-packed with massive fights, champions, contenders and grizzled vets. Loads of household names like Kevin Holland, Vicente Luque, Kelvin Gastelum, along with newcomer Patchy Mix, are just a few stars to watch this weekend. We'll have wall-to-wall coverage of UFC 316 throughout, including live updates, as The Post's Scott Fontana and I will be in attendance. Below, I break down my best bets for this 13-fight card where just five fights are expected to go the distance. Expect violence in front of a high-octane crowd at the Prudential Center. UFC 316 predictions Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O'Malley Merab Dvalishvili looked like a -1000 favorite in their first meeting last September when he wrestled O'Malley's title away from him en route to a unanimous decision win. Dvalishvili was a +105 underdog in that fight, which looks like a gift in hindsight. For the amount that Dvalishvili grappled in that fight, he didn't win the decision clearly, according to the judges. Two had Dvalishvili up, 48-47, and winning three of the first four rounds. It is possible that Dvalishvili threw away the fifth and final round after having coasted through the first two, but O'Malley did land some hard shots. Dvalishvili does have a clear path to victory via takedowns, as he went 6-for-15 on attempts in the first fight, although he was just 3-for-11 in the fight's final three rounds. The odds had been a bit wide here, with O'Malley reaching +300 status at one point, but his price has cratered down to a much more palatable +210 underdog at the time of writing. Dvalishvili by decision is -150 odds, and we know this is the most likely scenario in terms of win equity, where the Georgian grappler could just continue to land takedowns against the cage. 3 Sean O'Malley faces Merab Dvalishvili ahead of UFC 316 in Newark. Noah K. Murray-NY Post Although, this is not your 2021 MMA where grapplers had been allowed to lie on their opponents en route to a 50-45 decision. Dvalishvili doesn't tire, that much we know. But O'Malley did not land that much damage and still took two rounds. I still think the value is on O'Malley, who should have learned a ton from their first matchup. Let's back the Sugar Show to reclaim his gold in a wild scene in Newark. PICK: Sean O'Malley ML +215 or better (+230, DraftKings) 3 Kayla Harrison faces Julianna Pena this weekend. Zuffa LLC Julianna Pena vs. Kayla Harrison Long expected to be the best fighter in the women's bantamweight division, Kayla Harrison faces champion Julianna Pena in one of the most highly anticipated bouts in women's title history. Harrison is an athletic marvel, as she is the only American to win Olympic gold in Judo. With a sterling 18-1 record, Harrison is a -750 favorite and rightfully so. She has been dominant at every step of her mixed martial arts career. Pena has solid submissions and we know Harrison has a strong offensive grappling background, so I'd presume the champion feels comfortable fighting off her back. Get the lowdown on the Best USA Sports Betting Sites and Apps That's a bad recipe as far as betting is concerned, as anyone who is in grappling situations on their back is losing unless they get a submission win. Harrison has never been submitted in her career and Pena is +1200 to do so. That's the only way I see Harrison losing and even oddsmakers don't see that happening. Harrison dominates Saturday night… AND NEW. PICK: Harrison wins in Over 1.5 rounds (-175, DraftKings) 3 Joe Pyfer looks huge ahead of fight with Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 316. Zuffa LLC UFC 316 full fight card predictions Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O'Malley: Sean O'Malley ML +215 or better (+230, DraftKings) Julianna Pena vs. Kayla Harrison: Harrison wins in Over 1.5 rounds (-175, DraftKings) Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer: Pyfer by submission (+440, BetRivers) Mario Bautista vs. Patchy Mix: Mix by KO/TKO (+900, BetMGM) Vicente Luque vs. Kevin Holland: Fight goes to decision (+165, Fanatics Sportsbook) Bruno Silva vs. Joshua Van: Bruno Silva by decision (14/1, BetRivers) Azamat Murzakanov vs. Brendson Ribeiro: Murzakanov by KO/TKO in Round 2 (+300) or 3 (+750, FanDuel) Serghei Spivac vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta: Fight goes to decision (+165, BetRivers) Khaos Williams vs. Andreas Gustafsson: Williams wins by KO/TKO in round 1 (+390, FanDuel) Ariane da Silva vs. Wang Cong: Fight goes to decision (-115, DraftKings) Jeka Saragih vs. JooSang Yoo: Fight goes to decision (+160, BetMGM) Quillan Salkilld vs. Yanal Ashmouz: Ashmouz ML (+425, DraftKings) MarQuel Mederos vs. Mark Choinski: Mederos ML for parlays (-205, Caesars) Why Trust New York Post Betting Erich Richter is a brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt but he has a black belt in MMA betting. During the football season he's showcased massive profits at The Post in the player prop market the last two seasons. While constantly betting long shots, his return on investment is 30.15 percent since 2022.


New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Super Bowl champ Chris Canty in NYC legal battle with tenant
Former star New York Giant defensive lineman Chris Canty has gone on offense — against his Upper West Side tenant. The Super Bowl champ and co-host of ESPN Radio's 'Unsportsmanlike' has been accused of unnecessary roughness as he tries to oust the last remaining resident of a five-story, $5.2 million townhouse Canty owns, according to court records. The 6-foot-7-inch, 380-pound defensive end wants to transform the nine-unit West 89th Street building into his own luxury townhouse — but 5-foot-6 data analyst Stuart Kalmenson stands in his way. Advertisement 4 Stuart Kalmenson, who has lived in the building for 19 years, is the only tenant left. Leonardo Munoz 'I had the choice of either getting bullied, or fighting the good fight,' Kalmenson said. Kalmenson, 59, has lived in his two-bedroom apartment just steps from Central Park for 19 years, paying $2,600 a month rent when Canty, who works out of NYC for ESPN and has a home in Hilton Head, South Carolina, bought the building. Advertisement But his longtime home has become a house of horrors. Kalmenson has spent more than two years without utilities, made it through the winter without heat or hot water; and lives with floors so rotted and chewed through by mice he's been force 'to 'block off' about one-third of the living room for safety reasons,' he claimed in court filings. 4 Canty has been a sports radio personality since 2021. Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images He kept warm with a space heater and washes his clothes in the bathtub, alleged Kalmenson, who told the court the condition of his home was 'truly appalling and unsafe,' records show. Advertisement 'He just wants to destroy me,' Kalmenson, who has traded multiple legal blows with Canty, told The Post. The rest of the tenants moved out as their leases expired, about three months after the 2011 Super Bowl winner bought the building in March 2020, Canty said in court papers. Around the same time, Kalmenson — who had lost his job during the pandemic — had planned to move into a friend's basement, but the arrangement fell through at the last minute, he said. After that, he negotiated with Canty's real estate management company and became a month-to-month tenant, invoices provided by Kalmenson showed. Advertisement But by July 2020, Canty filed in housing court to give Kalmenson the boot. The proceeding is ongoing. Then in November 2020, a construction crew started work, stripping the halls and other units to the studs with Kalmenson and his Spaniel, Charles, inside. 4 Kalmenson, seen here with his dog, Charles, claims he has to avoid parts of his floors because they are so damaged. Leonardo Munoz Canty denied wrongdoing. 'Mr. Kalmenson's allegations are without merit,' said Canty's lawyer, William M. Moran. The former NFL-er was fined $20,000 by the city Buildings Department in 2021 for falsely claiming the building was empty when the work began, and not having a 'tenant protection plan' in place for Kalmenson, according to DOB records. That same year, Canty began eviction proceedings against Kalmenson, accusing him of overstaying his lease. At the same time he accused the tenant in a separate Manhattan lawsuit of 'a campaign of intimidation and harassment' against him and of filing 'spurious claims with the Department of Buildings.' Advertisement 4 Canty won a Super Bowl with the New York Giants in 2011. Joseph E. Amaturo In October 2021, Canty offered Kalmenson $45,000 to move out — but the tenant said he chose to stay, because he'd just been approved for emergency pandemic rental relief which allowed him to stay in his home another year. The construction stopped in April, after Kalmenson counter-sued Canty in Manhattan Supreme Court. The city Department of Housing Preservation and Development has also slapped the former lineman with 410 violations since 2022 and sued him twice for the violations — ultimately settling for a total of $8,000, records show. Advertisement Kalmenson insisted in court papers that prior landlords violated the law by treating the building as a co-operative, when it should have been rent stabilized — a move which would have allowed the residents to stay after Canty purchased it. Canty, who is also being sued by the city and state for allegedly evading more than $1 million in taxes related to his purchase of the property, claims the building is still a co-op and should not be deemed rent stabilized, legal papers show. 'If I'm entitled to a rent stabilized lease. I don't need to get bullied out of my own home by some guy just because he happened to be a football player,' Kalmenson said. Canty spent 11 years in the NFL as part of the Giants, the Dallas Cowboys and the Baltimore Ravens before retiring in 2015. He began working in radio in 2021, when he joined 98.7 FM's DiPietro, Canty & Rothenberg weekday morning show. A rep for Canty didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.