Sean O’Malley made his return to the octagon, healthy and fully recovered from September surgery for a torn labrum in his hip, but the result was much of the same against Merab Dvalishvili.
Dvalishvili (20-4-0) successfully defended his UFC bantamweight title against O’Malley (18-3-0) on Saturday at UFC 316 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, in front of President Donald Trump. Saturday’s fight marked O’Malley’s first match in nearly nine months since he lost to Dvalishvili via unanimous decision in their first bout at UFC 306 in September. Dvalishvili also reigned victorious in the rematch.
Julianna Peña (13-6-0), however, wasn’t able to defend her women’s bantamweight title. Kayla Harrison (19-1-0), a two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo (2012 London Games, 2016 Rio Games), defeated Peña by submission.
Here’s a full recap of UFC 316:
UFC 316 live updates: Main card results
Merab Dvalishvili def. Sean O’Malley via submission (North-South Choke) – Round 3, 4:42
Kayla Harrison def. Julianna Peña via submission (Kimura) – Round 2, 4:55
Joe Pyfer def. Kelvin Gastelum by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 30-27)
Mario Bautista def. Patchy Mix by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Kevin Holland def. Vicente Luque via submission (D’Arce Choke) – Round 2, 1:03
UFC 316 round by round: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O’Malley
Round 1: The rematch is underway. O’Malley opened with a spinning back-kick and landed some body shots on Dvalishvili. They both exchanged some punches before O’Malley landed a front kick. Then, Dvalishvili took control. He knocked O’Malley down with a left hook, but O’Malley was able to get back to his feet. Dvalishvili pressed O’Malley against the cage and threw some knees before O’Malley was able to free himself. O’Malley attempted to kick Dvalishvili, but slipped and fell. Dvalishvili scored another takedown and had O’Malley in a vulnerable position on his back until the bell rang.
Round 2: O’Malley came out with another spinning back-kick and body shots to Dvalishvili, who continued to press O’Malley. He hit O’Malley in the face with a combo and O’Malley responded with a jab to Dvalishvili. O’Malley threw more body kicks and avoided being pressed into the cage yet again by Dvalishvili. Not a lot of punches are being thrown by either fighter. Dvalishvili tried to take down O’Malley again, but he was unsuccessful and got caught with a right hand. Dvalishvili hit O’Malley with a right and went for another takedown. O’Malley got out again and answered with a jab to Dvalishvili.
Round 3: Dvalishvili landed a takedown and has O’Malley on his back. Dvalishvili is smothering O’Malley, who is attempting to get up. Dvalishvili threw some body shots while maintain control on the ground. O’Malley got to his knees as Dvalishvili continually kneed his right thigh. O’Malley got to his feet and Dvalishvili took him right back down. O’Malley got to his feet yet again and Dvalishvili tripped him and took him right back to the ground. Dvalishvili jumped on O’Malley’s neck and locked in a front headlock. O’Malley tapped.
Merab Dvalishvili walks out to ring
In a bizarre turn of events, fans at Prudential Center appeared to fall over the railing barrier into the walkout. Dvalishvili was not injured.
Sean O’Malley walks out to ring
It’s time for the main event! O’Malley walked out to the ring to ‘God Bless the USA’ by Lee Greenwood.
Kayla Harrison challenges Amanda Nunes; Nunes accepts
Following the win, Harrison called over Amanda Nunes from the stands to challenge her to a fight in the middle of the ring. When asked if Nunes is ready to return to the ring, she said, ‘Yes, definitely. We’re going to do it.’
Harrison replied, ‘I have the belt, she has the legacy. Let’s put it on the table.’
Kayla Harrison def. Julianna Peña by submission (kimura)
Round 1: Both fighters felt each other out in the middle of the octagon, before Harrison landed a body kick. The crowd is on Peña’s side as they chanted her name. Harrison pressed Peña into the cage and completed a takedown. Peña played defense and tied up Harrison, who got free. Peña then committed two illegal up kicks, resulting in the referee taking a point from Peña. The fight resumed with both fighters on their feet, meaning Harrison lost her position.
Round 2: Peña is still on the defensive. Harrison is pressing and has Peña against the cage again, looking for another takedown. Harrison throws some knees as she has Peña on the cage. Harrison got Peña down on the ground and threw some heavy elbows as Peña wrapped up her left arm to stop the ground-and-pound. Peña flipped off her back, but Harrison got on her back and was in full control on the ground. Harrison was able to get her into a kimura armbar and Peña tapped with five seconds remaining in the second round.
Kayla Harrison def. Julianna Peña by submission (kimura) – Round 2, 4:55
Joe Pyfer def. Kelvin Gastelum by unanimous decision
Round 1: Pyfer got the action started with a kick to Gastelum’s chest, followed by a low leg kick. Pyfer dropped Gastelum with a right hook to his ear, but Gastelum was able to recover and get back to his feet. Both exchanged haymakers that missed, but highlighted the power of each fighter. Gastelum hesitated to get close to Pyfer as they danced around the cage. Gastelum resorted to a body shot. Pyfer responded by landing a leg kick to his head and dropped Gastelum yet again with a right hook to his jaw.
Round 2: Pyfer lands a right hook to kick off the second round. Gastelum took another right jab to the face after a lot of hand fighting in the center of the ring. Gastelum’s nose began to bleed and he resorted to lower leg kicks as he continues to struggle to get close to Pyfer. The boo birds are ringing out as the fighters dance around the ring.
Round 3: Pyfer lands a nice combo on Gastelum to start the third round. Another right hook to Gastelum. There is a lot of hand fighting again and not much punches being throw by each fighter. Gastelum caught Pyfer with a left hand and Pyfer went for a takedown. Pyfer got Gastelum to the ground, but Gastelum recovered and clinched Pyfer against the cage. Pyfer broke it up with an elbow and they are back in the center of the ring. Gastelum landed a left hand to the face and followed with a big left hook.
Pyfer defeated Gastelum by unanimous decision, 29-28, 29-27, 30-27.
Alex Pereira attends UFC 316
Alex Pereira isn’t stepping in the octagon on Saturday, but that doesn’t mean he’s not in the building. Pereira pulled up to the Prudential Center to attend UFC 316.
Mario Bautista def. Patchy Mix by unanimous decision
Bautista came out as the aggressor and pressed Mix early with leg kicks, body shots and right hooks. Mix didn’t have much of a response and wasn’t on the offensive in the first round, but came out swinging in the second round. Mix landed a head kick to Bautista’s head, which caused Bautista to bleed under his right eye. But Bautista got back to work punishing Mix with multiple combos that drew blood from Mix’s eyes. Mix landed a couple jabs late in the third round, but it was too little, too late. Bautista won by unanimous decision, 29-28, 30-27, 30-27.
Kevin Holland record
Holland improved to 28-13 in the MMA and 15-10 in the UFC with his defeat of Luque.
Kevin Holland def. Vicente Luque via submission (D’Arce choke)
Kevin Holland landed a devastating elbow behind Luque’s left ear, which left a visible hematoma on his head in the first round. Holland was also chirping early and continued to talk to Luque throughout the round. In the second round, Holland caught a kick from Luque and took him down. Holland got him into a D’Arce choke with his long arms and locked it in until Luque tapped.
When does Sean O’Malley fight?
The UFC 316: Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili 2 fight card consists of 13 matches and will begin at 6 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 7. The main event for the O’Malley-Dvalishvili fight is expected to be around 10:30 p.m. ET. However, the duration of the undercard will impact when it actually starts.
Date: Saturday, June 7
Location: Prudential Center (Newark, New Jersey)
Main card start time: 10 p.m. ET
Main card stream: ESPN+ PPV
President Donald Trump, Mike Tyson in the building
The commander-in-chief has landed. Trump arrived at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, before the UFC 316 main card kicked off. Trump clapped his hands as he made his way to his ringside seat, stopping along the way to shake hands with fans and even boxing legend Mike Tyson. Trump was accompanied by UFC President Dana White as ‘USA’ chants broke out. Trump’s son Eric Trump, his daughter Ivanka Trump and Marco Rubio, the United States Secretary of State, and rapper Ace Boogie with the Hoodie are also in attendance.
UFC 316: Time, PPV, streaming for Dvalishvili vs. O’Malley 2
The highly anticipated rematch between Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley will take place on Saturday, June 7 and can be purchased on ESPN+ PPV.
Date: Saturday, June 7
Location: Prudential Center (Newark, New Jersey)
Early prelims start time: 6 p.m. ET
Early prelims stream: ESPN+, Disney+
Prelims card start time: 8 p.m. ET
Prelims card TV: ESPN; Prelims stream: ESPN+, Disney+
Main card start time: 10 p.m. ET
Main card stream: ESPN+ PPV
Catch UFC action with an ESPN+ subscription
UFC 316 preliminary results
Prelims:
Joshua Van def. Bruno Silva via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 4:01
Azamat Murzakanov def. Brendson Ribiero via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:25
Waldo Cortes Acosta def. Serghei Spivac via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Andreas Gustafsson def. Khaos Williams via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
Early prelims:
Wang Cong def. Ariane da Silva via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
JooSang Yoo def. Jeka Saragih via KO (punch) – Round 1, 0:28
Quillan Salkilld def. Yanal Ashmouz via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
MarQuel Mederos def. Mark Choinski via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Joshua Van def. Bruno Silva via TKO
Silva dropped Van at the beginning of the first round with a leg kick and Van returned the favor by dropping Silva with a right shot to the face. Bruno’s leg kicks were effective early on, but Van caught Silva with a right jab to the face and dropped him after Silva lunged at him. Silva survived punches on the ground and got to his feet, but he found himself back on the ground and in trouble after taking a knee to the face. Silva took multiple punches to the face on the ground before wrapping up Van to neutralize his attack. Van let Silva off the floor to end the second round. Van continued to highlight his boxing skills with punishing blows. Silva took a seat after another jab directly to the face, where he was finished off. The referee called a stop to the fight in the third round.
Joshua Van record
With his TKO of Silva, Van improved to 14-2 in MMA and a 7-1 in UFC.
What is UFC 316 PPV cost?
The highly anticipated rematch between Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley will take place on ESPN+ PPV. The main card is available for purchase for $79.99. An ESPN+ subscription is needed to purchase the UFC 316 main card PPV, which is expected to start around 10 p.m. ET.
Azamat Murzakanov def. Brendson Ribiero by TKO (punches)
Ribiero threw a bunch of kicks early on to Murzakanov’s head and body, which kept Murzakanov from moving forward. Murzakanov was able to counter a low kick with a powerful right hand. Murzakanov caught Ribiero with two consecutive left hooks with the last one hitting Ribiero in his left temple. Ribiero wobbled, fell to the ground and was mauled by a barrage of punches from Murzakanov. Referee Mike Beltran called a stop to the fight in the first round at the 3:25 mark to remain undefeated.
Waldo Cortes Acosta def. Serghei Spivac by unanimous decision
Cortes Acosta and Spivac traded blows in the first round. Cortes Acosta landed a low leg kick and continued to target the body of Spivac, who appeared to slow down in the second round due to the body shots. Spivac attempted to take Cortes Acosta down following a leg kick, but Cortes Acosta was able to slip out of it and continue pressing on his feet. Cortes Acosta had to get new shorts after his first pair was torn leading into the third round. Spivac caught Cortes Acosta with a right hook that made him wobble. It may be an attempt to play possum. Spivac continued pressing with a barrage of punches and Cortes-Acosta jabbed back as the crowd cheered, ‘Let’s go Waldo.’ Cortes Acosta won by unanimous decision, 30-27, 29-28, 29-28.
Andreas Gustafsson def. Khaos Williams by unanimous decision
Williams had Gustafsson clinched and pressed on the cage for a majority of the first round, prompting boos from the crowd in New Jersey, but anytime Gustafsson had separation, he aggressively swung for the fences and landed some punches on Williams in the process. Gustafsson continued pressing in the second round and appeared to hurt Williams with a punishing right hook. Gustafsson took down Williams several times and opened a bloody gash above Williams’ right eye with an elbow. The pressure didn’t stop in round three and Gustafsson continued to maul a worn-down Williams. Gustafsson won by unanimous decision, 30-27, 30-26, 30-26.
Wang Cong def. Ariane Da Silva by unanimous decision
Silva and Cong stayed on their feet the first round and exchanged blows and kicks. Cong landed a devastating kick to Da Silva’s left leg that left her wobbling. Da Silva’s left leg had a visible welt and continued to be a target for Cong as the fight progressed. Cong landed another low leg kick in the second round that made Da Silva loss her balance and fall to the ground. Cong ultimately won by unanimous decision, 30-27, 30-27, 30-27.
Joosang Yoo def. Jeka Saragih by KO (punch)
The featherweight bout between Joosang Yoo and Jeka Saragih didn’t last long. Yoo caught a charging Saragih right on the chin with a left hook less than 30 seconds into his debut. Saragih was knocked out with the punch and fell forward on his face.
Quillan Salkillo def. Yana Ashmouz by unanimous decision
Ashmouz came out the gate strong and landed punches early before Salkillo slammed him down to the ground. Salkillo maintained control on the ground and smothered Ashmouz, highlighting his wrestling skills. Ashmouz had a late surge in the third round and landed multiple right hooks that stunned Salkillo, but it was too little too late. Salkillo def. Yana Ashmouz in the lightweight bout by unanimous decision, 30-27, 29-28, 29-28.
Marquel Mederos def. Mark Choinski by unanimous decision
Marquel Mederos and Mark Choinski went the distance at lightweight to start off the night. Mederos dominated Choinski with his leg strikes and ultimately won by unanimous decision, 30-27, 30-27, 29-28. Mederos moves to 3-0 in the UFC following his win.
UFC 316 preliminary and main card start times
Early prelims: 6 p.m. ET (ESPN+, Disney+)
Prelims: 8 p.m. ET (ESPN, ESPN+, Disney+)
Main card: 10 p.m. ET (PPV on ESPN+)
UFC 316: Dvalishvili vs. O’Malley 2 card
Main Card:
Merab Dvalishvil vs. Sean O’Malley: Bantamweight Title Bout
Julianna Peña vs. Kayla Harrison: Women’s Bantamweight Title Bout
Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer: Middleweight Bout
Mario Bautista vs. Patchy Mix: Bantamweight Bout
Vicente Luque vs. Kevin Holland: Welterweight Bout
Prelims:
Bruno Silva vs. Joshua Van: Flyweight Bout
Azamat Murzakanov vs. Brendson Ribiero: Light Heavyweight Bout
Serghei Spivac vs. Waldo Cortes Acosta: Heavyweight Bout
Khaos Williams vs. Andreas Gustafsson: Welterweight Bout
Early prelims:
Quillan Salkillo vs. Yana Ashmouz: Lightweight Bout
Marquel Mederos vs. Mark Choinski: Lightweight Bout
Ariane Da Silva vs. Wang Cong: Women’s Flyweight Bout
Jeka Saragih vs. Joosang Yoo: Featherweight Bout
UFC 316 Predictions for Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O’Malley 2
Brady Trettenero, Sports Betting Dime: Dvalishvili grinds down O’Malley
‘Unless O’Malley lands something huge early, this fight follows the same script as the first one. I see Dvalishvili grinding out another decision, but at -310 on the moneyline, there’s zero value. Look for the fight to go the distance at -280.’
Bleacher Report: Dvalishvili by unanimous decision
Tom Taylor writes, ‘Dvalishvili dominated O’Malley the first time they met, and after hitting a new level in his recent win over Nurmagomedov, I see him doing so again. O’Malley’s precision striking and deceptive power will give him a chance for as long as this fight lasts, but there’s no reason to predict a different outcome than we got when these two first met less than a year ago. I’m forecasting another wide decision win for Dvalishvili, who I consider one of the three best fighters in the sport right now, along with Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev.’
UFC 316 odds: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O’Malley 2
*All odds via BetMGM
Main Card:
Merab Dvalishvil (-300) vs. Sean O’Malley (+240): Bantamweight Title Bout
Julianna Peña (+500) vs. Kayla Harrison (-700): Women’s Bantamweight Title Bout
Kelvin Gastelum (+310) vs. Joe Pyfer (-400): Middleweight Bout
Mario Bautista (+145) vs. Patchy Mix (-180): Bantamweight Bout
Vicente Luque (+200) vs. Kevin Holland (-250): Welterweight Bout
Prelims:
Bruno Silva (+500) vs. Joshua Van (-700): Flyweight Bout
Azamat Murzakanov (-600) vs. Brendson Ribiero (+425): Light Heavyweight Bout
Serghei Spivac (-150) vs. Waldo Cortes Acosta (+125): Heavyweight Bout
Khaos Williams (-190) vs. Andreas Gustafsson (+155): Welterweight Bout
Early prelims:
Quillan Salkillo (-450) vs. Yana Ashmouz (+333): Lightweight Bout
Marquel Mederos (-225) vs. Mark Choinski (+185): Lightweight Bout
Ariane Da Silva (+375) vs. Wang Cong (-500): Women’s Flyweight Bout
Jeka Saragih (+360) vs. Joosang Yoo (-500): Featherweight Bout
UFC 316 live stream
The early prelims will be available to stream via ESPN+ and Disney+. The prelims follow with coverage on ESPN as well as streaming on ESPN+. The main event is available on ESPN+ PPV.
UFC 316 price
UFC events are available to ESPN+ subscribers. The cost of the service is $10.99 a month or $109.99 for the year. The PPV is available for an additional $79.99.