Merab Dvalishvili retained his UFC Bantamweight title in dominant fashion on Saturday night, defeating Sean O’Malley for the second time at UFC 316, in front of a sold-out crowd that included U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Georgian fighter, known as “The Machine,” submitted O’Malley in the third round with a modified choke at 4:42, extending his win streak to 13 fights. With this victory, Dvalishvili (20-4) continues to cement his place at the top of the bantamweight division and is now being talked about as one of the best ever in his weight class.
Right after the win, Dvalishvili wasted no time in calling out his next target: Cory Sandhagen. “You’re the man, let’s go,” he said in the post-fight interview, making it clear he wants a title defence against the American, who has won four of his last five fights.
For O’Malley (18-3), the loss was a painful repeat. He had lost his title to Dvalishvili in their first fight via unanimous decision. Despite being outclassed again, “Suga” Sean stayed positive. “100%, thank you guys for coming out,” he said, promising to rebuild and return stronger.
In the co-main event, Kayla Harrison dominated Julianna Peña to win the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship. Harrison secured a second-round submission via kimura, showing complete control from start to finish.
The two fighters showed mutual respect after the fight, embracing inside the Octagon. Harrison later revealed that the weight cut almost made her quit two days before the bout. “On Thursday night, I wanted to quit,” she said. “But that would have been the biggest mistake. Most fighters never get a UFC title shot.”
Now 19-1 in her career, Harrison used the spotlight to call out former two-division UFC champion Amanda Nunes, who retired in 2023 but has since hinted at a comeback. The two women faced off after the fight, with a bout between them expected later this year.
– Joe Pyfer defeated veteran Kelvin Gastelum by unanimous decision. Pyfer (14-3) showed strong form, while Gastelum (19-10), a former title challenger, continues to struggle with consistency.
= Rising bantamweight Mario Bautista outclassed newcomer and former Bellator champion Patchy Mix, winning by unanimous decision. Mix (20-2) will now need to regroup after a disappointing UFC debut.
=Kevin Holland opened the main card with an impressive D’Arce choke submission over Vicente Luque in the second round. Holland (28-13) continues to make a case as a serious welterweight contender.
UFC 316 delivered a night of high-stakes drama, major upsets, and rising stars. With potential matchups like Dvalishvili vs. Sandhagen and Harrison vs. Nunes, the rest of 2025 promises even more thrilling action inside the Octagon.
