6 days ago
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.
