UFC 316
Review
On June 7, 2025, the UFC returned to the Prudential Center in Newark with UFC 316,
New Jersey returns – and what a show it was! Here are the highlights of the main event, co-main event, and the rest of the main card.
Merab defeats Sean O'Malley again
Bantamweight GOAT?
Merab Dvalishvili hat es wieder getan. In seinem Rückkampf gegen „Suga“ Sean O’Malley ließ der georgische Champion keine Zweifel aufkommen.
Mit unermüdlichem Druck, starkem Ringen und präzisem Striking kontrollierte „The Machine“ die ersten beiden Runden klar. In Runde drei brachte er O’Malley erneut zu Boden und setzte einen Ninja Choke an – der Ex-Champion musste bei 4:42 Minuten abklopfen.
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Mit diesem Sieg verteidigte Dvalishvili nicht nur erneut seinen Titel, sondern baute auch seine beeindruckende Siegesserie auf 13 Kämpfe aus. Der 34-Jährige macht immer stärker den Eindruck, einer der besten Bantamgewichte aller Zeiten zu sein.
Harrison is champ and challenges Nunes
one way street
Two-time Olympic champion Kayla Harrison crowned her UFC rise with a dominant victory over former titleholder Julianna Peña. She took Peña to the ground in the first round and firmly controlled her – including a point deduction for illegal upkicks on Peña's part. The decision came in the second round: After attempting an arm triangle choke, Harrison skillfully switched to a kimura and forced Peña to submit at 4:55.
Harrison is now the UFC Bantamweight Champion—and, along with Henry Cejudo, the only female fighter to win both Olympic and UFC gold. Immediately after the fight, none other than Amanda Nunes entered the Octagon. The two stars embraced—and announced an epic duel later this year.
Joe Pyfer vs Kelvin Gastelum:
Joe Pyfer celebrated the biggest victory of his career when he defeated the experienced Kelvin Gastelum by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 30-27). Pyfer shone, especially in the first round, with two knockdowns with right hand punches. Gastelum came back, but Pyfer remained the more active and dangerous man overall. An important step toward the top 15.Mario Bautista vs. Patchy Mix:
Mario Bautista impressively ended the hype surrounding former Bellator champion Patchy Mix. The MMA Lab fighter clearly dominated the debutant over three rounds, securing the victory by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27). Bautista thus extended his winning streak to eight fights – a clear statement in the highly competitive bantamweight division.Kevin Holland vs Vicente Luque:
Kevin Holland once again demonstrated why he's one of the UFC's most entertaining fighters. After a strong first round, he forced Vicente Luque to submit in the second round with a perfectly executed D'Arce choke (1:03). It was not only an impressive victory, but also a special moment: Holland used Luque's preferred technique for the finish.
UFC 316 delivered everything fans love: technique, drama, new champions—and perhaps even one of the biggest women's matchups in UFC history in the near future. Merab Dvalishvili and Kayla Harrison made a clear statement. And the rest of the main card demonstrated once again how deep the UFC roster currently is.
Stay tuned – 2025 is far from over.
What happens next?
Merab's next challenger is likely Cory Sandhagen. With each subsequent dominant performance, the Georgian carves his legacy deeper into the UFC history books.
For Kayla Harrison, the next task is clear: UFC Women’s GOAT Amanda Nunes is just around the corner.
Next up, in addition to great fight nights (Usman vs. Buckley, Rountree Jr. vs. Hill), we're looking forward to the ultimate blockbuster: UFC 317, featuring Ilia Topuria against Charles "DoBronx" Oliveira.
Until then!