Significant Stats | UFC 316: Dvalishvili vs O’Malley 2

Key Stats: 92 takedowns (1st all-time), 16:53 average fight time (4th all-time among BW), 5.89 takedowns averaged per 15 minutes

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What It Means: “The Machine” is a relentless, marauding presence in the Octagon. He doesn’t have the cleanest technique and isn’t the most dominant physical presence, but his work rate, cardio and undeniable will to win combine to make him an absolute menace to face. He is light and bouncy on his feet with a decent striking game, but for Dvalishvili, it begins and ends with his grappling. Dvalishvili’s chain wrestling and willingness to hustle on the second, third or even fourth shots during a scramble is what makes him special. Once on top, he prefers to dish out ground-and-pound, but he will also happily continue to take opponents down multiple times. 

Sean O’Malley

Key Stats: +3.31 striking differential (5th all-time), 9 total fight night bonuses (1st all-time among BW), 61.5% (1st all-time among BW)

What It Means: O’Malley is a sniper with real knockout power, which makes him one of the most dynamic and entertaining fighters to watch in the bantamweight division. “Suga,” when at his best, is a master of dictating the pace and distance of a fight. Whether he is switching stances to open up different angles within a combination or throwing myriad kicks to his opponent’s body and legs, O’Malley does best when he has space to operate. Because of that, his boxing on the inside is a little underrated. O’Malley has shown a decent defensive grappling ability, and he is quite confident in his jiu jitsu, as well, although he hasn’t shown much of it in the Octagon so far. 

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What to Look For in the Fight: Dvalshvili dominated their first meeting, but O’Malley claims he wasn’t 100 percent going into the fight, which hindered his ability to use his footwork and defend takedowns. To be fair to the former champion, nobody has cracked the code on the Georgian for about seven years, but if anyone has the ability to time Dvalishvili and find a finishing shot, it’s O’Malley. Dvalishvili must be mindful of the weapons coming his way, but if he can swarm O’Malley and prevent him from finding his rhythm, the rematch could look a lot like the first installment

Co-Main Event: Julianna Peña vs Kayla Harrison

Julianna Peña 

Key Stats: 56.3% takedown accuracy (tied 4th all-time among WBW), 57.9% significant strike defense (7th all-time among WBW), 23% takedown defense

What It Means: Peña is a tough and relentless fighter whose skills in the Octagon continue to improve. On the feet, she is a disciplined striker with good boxing. Her jab is particularly impactful, and she uses it to pepper opponents as she turns up the pressure and pace within the fight. Peña is crafty on the ground, as well, with a good sense of the leverage she can create. From there, she is effective at finding submissions.  

Kayla Harrison

Key Stats: 4.87 strikes landed per minute, 2.75 takedowns averaged per 15 minutes, 1.19 strikes absorbed per minute

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What It Means: A two-time Olympic gold medal winner in judo, Harrison is an imposing physical presence in the Octagon. She isn’t the cleanest on the feet, although she continues to improve her striking, but she operates best when she can get in close and get her hands wrapped around her opponent. Her clinch game, naturally, is nasty, and her array of takedowns, trips and throws are sights to see. On top, she prefers to dish out ground-and-pound above all else, although she can find a submission once she softens up her opponent. 

What to Look For in the Fight: When Harrison can impose her will on her opponent, it often starts an avalanche that cannot be stopped. However, Peña’s cardio and toughness are unquestionable, so she has the potential to push the pace late into the fight. The general thought is the later into the fight it goes, the better it is for the champion. However, Harrison’s athleticism is special, so whether Peña has the physicality as well as the technique, to thwart Harrison’s grappling will be key for her.

Other Fights to Watch (Mario Bautista vs Patchy Mix)

Mario Bautista

Key Stats: 9:14 average fight time (4th shortest), 5.33 strikes landed per minute (10th), 66% takedown defense

UFC 316 FREE FIGHTS: Pena vs Nunes | Dvalishvili vs Nurmagomdeov | Harrison vs Holm | O'Malley vs Sterling 

What It Means: Bautista is a dynamic fighter with a well-rounded skillset. Despite some criticism for his performance against José Aldo, Bautista has shown a shape-shifting ability to change styles and find his path to victory, often in impressive fashion. His striking is diverse and intelligent, but his best self shows when the fight moves to grappling. From there, Bautista has shown a variety of slick submissions and high-level technique in scrambles. 

Patchy Mix

Key Stats: N/A (UFC Debut)

What It Means: The long-awaited debut of Patchy Mix has arrived, which means UFC fans will get to see Mix’s strong all-around game, but also the introduction of one of the better grapplers at 135 pounds. He has a surprisingly long frame for the division, and he uses that to his advantage. On the feet, he’ll pressure and cut off the cage with his footwork, the threat of his grappling and long strikes like teep kicks and leg kicks. If he can get his opponent backed up to the cage, he can then take the fight to his world on the mat. On the back foot, Mix has good defensive grappling and a particularly strong front headlock game. His style is simple, but effective, and there is very little wasted effort during his fights

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What to Look For in the Fight: This should be a fascinating fight, as Bautista has the skillset to push the fight wherever he finds the best path to victory, and he has the athleticism and footwork to evade Mix’s pressure. However, Mix likely has the grappling edge, so if he can back Bautista up, he will find success along the fence. If Bautista gets on the front foot, watch for some flying knees and other dynamic strikes. At the same time, if Bautista initiates a grappling exchange, Mix has shown good timing with knees moving both forward and backward.