Five Reasons To Watch UFC 316: Dvalishvili vs O'Malley 2

Opponents Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O'Malley face off during the UFC 316 press conference at Kaseya Center on April 11, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC)

The Two Title Fights At The Top Of The Bill Aren’t The Only Reasons To Tap In To UFC’s Return To New Jersey

By Zac Pacleb, on X @ZacPacleb • May. 23, 2025

For one reason or another, something special happens when the Octagon touches down in Newark. It has been the home of several milepost moments for the sport. It is where Jon Jones took out Mauricio “Shogun” Rua to begin his odyssey as the light heavyweight champion. Last year, Islam Makhachev thwarted Dustin Poirier in an all-time classic with the lightweight title on the line.

Two title fights headline the Octagon’s third trip to Brick City for UFC 316: Dvalishvili vs O’Malley 2. While those bouts are deservedly garnering most of the attention, the card is littered with storylines. In the past, Newark hosted its share of breakout performances, as well. From Diego Lopes’ UFC debut against Movsar Evloev to Max Holloway’s submission win over Cub Swanson, you never know who will make the most of the spotlight in New Jersey.

With that in mind, we turn our eyes to June 7.

Order UFC 316: Dvalishvili vs O'Malley 2

A New Man In The … Mix

Patchy Mix Interview | UFC 316

Any mixed martial arts fan worth their salt is going to see what’s going on with Patchy Mix when he makes his way to the Octagon for the first time. The New York native made his bones at Bellator, where he was the two-time bantamweight champion, earning wins over UFC veterans Kyoji Horiguchi and Sergio Pettis. He arrives to the mixed martial arts leader sporting a 20-1 record, including 13 wins via submission.

READ: Patchy Mix To Make UFC Debut At UFC 316

Mix arrives at the perfect time in the bantamweight title picture, particularly with the belt on the line later in the night. With proven grappling and ever-improving striking, Mix projects as a fascinating addition to arguably the deepest division in the sport. His opponent, Mario Bautista, is no slouch, and is on a seven-fight win streak himself. He also has the well-rounded skill set to give Mix a rude welcome to the Octagon.

At 31 years old, Mix is in his prime as he enters 135-pound shark tank. In Newark, we get to see if he sinks or swims.

Under The Radar Bangers

Joe Pyfer punches Jack Hermansson of Sweden in a middleweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on February 10, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Considering the sport’s week-to-week schedule, it’s easy for exciting matchups to get lost in the shuffle, and UFC 316 is no exception.

One such bout is an all-action affair between Joe Pyfer and Kelvin Gastelum. The bout was moved to Newark when Pyfer fell ill the evening before fight night in Mexico City, and both are eager to get their hand raised in show-stealing fashion. Gastelum remains on his mission for gold, but inconsistency has plagued him over the last five years. He picked up a win over Daniel Rodriguez in his last fight, but that result came nearly a year ago. On the other hand, Pyfer is hoping to get the engine on his hype train revved up again. He bounced back well from his first loss in the Octagon with an on-brand first-round knockout of Marc-André Barriault at UFC 303, but health issues kept him from building on it. A win over a former title challenger in Gastelum is exactly the kind of thing that could get him back in a fight with someone in the top 15.

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Elsewhere on the main card, two fighters hoping to solidify their spots in the welterweight top 15 collide as Kevin Holland and Vicente Luque meet. Both fighters have struggled stringing together standout performances as of late. Holland is 6-6 in his last 12, although he is 5-3 as a welterweight in the Octagon and picked up a solid win over Gunnar Nelson in March. Luque, on the other hand, hasn’t quite returned to form that had many calling him a dark horse for a title run a few years ago. After a disappointing outing against Joaquin Buckley, the Brazilian secured his first finish in more than three years when he submitted Themba Gorimbo at UFC 310. The pair of 33-year-olds could set themselves for a top 10 battle should they get their hands raised in New Jersey.

Prospects To Watch

Joshua Van of Myanmar kicks Rei Tsuruya of Japan in a flyweight fight during the UFC 313 event at T-Mobile Arena on March 08, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

On the other end of the activity spectrum, the undefeated Azamat Murzakanov makes his first appearance of 2025 when he takes on the highly unpredictable Johnny Walker. “The Professional” has been a looming presence in the light heavyweight division. Of his 14 wins, 10 have come via knockout, but his activity has limited his momentum. The 36-year-old has fought just four times since earning his contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in August 2021, but he secured knockout wins in three of them. Walker, who will undoubtedly press the action, is the kind of opponent who Murzakanov could show out against if he is locked in. The 205-pound picture feels wide open, and if Murzakanov can start stringing together fights, he could find himself climbing the ladder quickly.

Finally, Quillan Salkilld is still getting started as he approaches his sophomore appearance. The Australian opened his UFC account with a bang of all bangs as he knocked out Anshul Jubli just 19 seconds into his debut at UFC 312. The win was his eighth in a row, and the 25-year-old is keen on distinguishing himself as Australia’s next hope for another champion. He faces fellow 8-1 combatant Yanal Ashmouz in what should be a competitive and telling bout for both men.

READ: Ten Outstanding Performances In Newark

Two Title Fights, Obviously

Headliners are up there for a reason, and the two championship bouts ending the night are fascinating matchups for quite different reasons.

Kayla Harrison Interview | UFC 316

First comes the women’s bantamweight title bout between two-time champion Julianna Peña and two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo Kayla Harrison. Harrison was tabbed as a title contender upon her arrival to the UFC, and her wins over Holly Holm and Ketlen Vieira cemented her as such. Despite her dominance and what the oddsmakers might tell you, she has a difficult task in the gritty Peña. “The Venezuelan Vixen” is as tough as they come and does not care what she needs to do in order to get her hand raised. Skill-wise, she has proven herself a solid grappler with an unrelenting gas tank, which should provide a nice base in her hopes to thwart Harrison.

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And in the final fight of the evening, Sean O’Malley hopes to get his belt back from the man who took it from him just nine months ago in Merab Dvalishvili. O’Malley claims he wasn’t healthy ahead of his bout with “The Machine,” but healthier fighters haven’t had all that much more success as of late. The marauding Georgian has been more or less unstoppable on his way to a 12-fight win streak. His first title defense might have been his best performance yet as he handed Umar Nurmagomedov his first professional loss. He handily beat O’Malley at UFC 306, but “Suga” has the great equalizer that is knockout power.

Lioness Sets Her Sights On Her Prey

Amanda Nunes reacts to the announcement of her induction into the UFC Hall of Fame during the UFC 314 event at Kaseya Center on April 12, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

The final reason one should tune in on June 7 has nothing to do with anyone competing in Prudential Center. Rather, it’s the looming specter of Amanda Nunes’ return. The “Lioness” essentially confirmed her intention to come out of retirement during the UFC 316 press conference during UFC 314 fight week in Miami. On one hand, there is the rubber match with Peña. On the other is a tantalizing matchup with Harrison. Either way, it seems the soon-to-be Hall of Fame member is intrigued about making a comeback a little more than two years since laying her title belts down in the Octagon. Whether it happens or not remains up in the air, but her next opponent could very well be whomever gets their hand raised in the co-main event.