UFC 316 takes place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on Saturday with the main bouts airing in the early hours of Sunday morning in South Africa. We look at 3 of the fights on the Main Card, including the Main Event and offer up some betting options for consideration.
Click here to bet on the full fight card.
MERAB DVALISHVILI vs SEAN O’MALLEY 2
Bantamweight Title Fight – Main Event:
Merab Dvalishvili is a Georgian fighter known for his insane stamina and he is also talented in the fields of striking and grappling. Since losing his first 2 fights for the UFC, he has turned things around and been unbeaten since 2018, currently sitting on a 12-fight win streak.
Of his 12 fights he has won, 11 have been by decision and only 1 by knockout, proving it is extremely hard to match his athletic ability.
His last two bouts have been title fights, the first where he took the title from O’Malley in 2024 but his most recent was against Umar Nurmagomedov where Dvalishvili claimed a decision win and retained his belt in January.
Sean O’Malley, fighting out of America, is a clean striker who throws brutal blows. He has had a solid run since his debut with the organization back in 2018 and he holds a career record of 9 wins and 2 losses across his 12 total encounters, with the remaining one ending in a no contest.
He is an opposite fighter to Dvalishvili and often counts on getting the job done within the distance by knockout, which he does very well. Of his 9 victories, 6 of these have come by knockout.
O’Malley steps into the octagon this weekend for his 4th consecutive title fight and after winning his first 2, he lost his last clash with Merab in September to lose the title.
BETTING – click here to bet
Dvalishvili 1.35
O’Malley 3.30
PREDICTION:
I think this fight will go much the same as their first meeting, with Merab getting his way with O’Malley and coming away with a decision win.
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JULIANNA PENA vs KAYLA HARRISON
Women’s Bantamweight Title Fight – Co-Main Event:
Julianna Pena is an American mixed martial artist who specializes in grappling, however she is well balanced across other fields too. She has fought under the UFC banner for over a decade, however she has not been extremely active and has just 10 fights throughout this time.
After her 10 matchups, she sits on a record of 7 wins and 3 losses, and it is important to note that her last 3 meetings were for the title. Her most recent action was in October where she took on Raquel Pennington and picked up a decision win to reclaim the title.
Kayla Harrison is a fighter from the USA who has recently joined the UFC scene. She is a powerhouse who uses her strength to control her opponents on the canvas, and she also puts them under pressure with her effective boxing.
She has taken part in only 2 fights in her career with the institution, and she has performed superbly, winning both fights and catching the attention of the fight selectors to earn her a title shot this weekend.
Her most recent test was when she faced off against Ketlen Vieira in October and beat her by decision.
BETTING – click here to bet
Pena 6.50
Harrison 1.14
PREDICTION:
I believe that Pena is a tough fighter who has often made things work when least expected, however, I think Harrison as the bigger and tougher fighter will get this done by a knockout within 3 rounds.
KELVIN GASTELUM vs JOE PYFER
Middleweight Fight:
Kelvin Gastelum, based in the USA, started his UFC career strong but has struggled for consistency in recent years. Over his last five fights, he has won two and lost three. His latest win was a decision victory over Daniel Rodriguez about a year ago.
Joe Pyfer, also American, is a heavy-handed striker with a reputation for finishing fights early. Though less experienced in the UFC than Gastelum, Pyfer has made a fast impression by winning four of his first five UFC fights, all by stoppage.
In his most recent outing, he knocked out Marc-Andre Barriault early in the first round.
BETTING – click here to bet
Gastelum 4.00
Pyfer 1.25
PREDICTION:
I think that Pyfer will be the more explosive fighter on the night and have no issues getting this fight done by a round 2 knockout.
SUGGESTED BETS:
Dvalishvili vs O’Malley
Dvalishvili by decision at 1.53
Pena vs Harrison
Harrison by knockout at 3.60 (Harrison in round 3 is 8.00)
Gastelum vs Pyfer
Pyfer by knockout at 3.38 (Pyfer in round 2 is 6.00)
ALL 3 BETS TO LAND – THE TREBLE IS 18.61
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Note: All prices are correct at the time of writing but subject to change.
