On Saturday night, the MMA world leader returns to ESPN pay-per-view with UFC 316. The event inside Newark, New Jersey’s Prudential Center will be headlined by a pair of championship bouts in the men’s and women’s bantamweight divisions.
In the main event, Merab Dvalishvili will look to score a second successful title defense when he faces former champ Sean O’Malley in a rematch of their fight from September. In the co-headliner, two-time Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison looks to win UFC gold when she faces 135-pound queen Julianna Pena.
Ahead of Saturday’s card, we make some bold UFC 316 predictions for the event’s stacked main card.
Related: UFC tonight – Full UFC 316 card and upcoming UFC schedule
Merab Dvalishvili (-298) vs. Sean O’Malley (+240)
The big knock on O’Malley has always been whether he can deal with an elite-level wrestler. While he was able to pass the test against one-time champ — and Dvalishvili’s pal — Aljamain Sterling, he failed miserably against the current champ.
The American is a very smart fighter, and he knows what he needs to do this weekend. Get better at stuffing takedowns or score an early knockout. For as good as he is, Dvalishvili just feels like “Suga’s” kryptonite. Look for the champ to wear O’Malley out quicker and eventually score a submission win late. Prediction: Dvalishvili by submission, Round 4
Julianna Peña (+455) vs. Kayla Harrison (-625)
On a pure skill level, Kayla Harrison is a much better fighter than Julianna Pena. She is a far better grappler, is stronger, and the champ isn’t the technical striker that could give the former PFL superstar problems. However, Pena does have one huge advantage over the challenger: Cardio.
Harrison will be in her first five-round fight at 135 pounds, and she hasn’t shown the talent to knock foes out on the feet early. She likes to grind opponents into dust. But Pena has a gas tank for days and is the toughest fighter the division has ever seen. The talent should win out, but the champ is an extremely live underdog on Saturday. Prediction: Harrison by TKO, Round 3
Kelvin Gastelum (+295) vs. Joe Pyfer (-375)
If this were six or seven years ago, Kelvin Gastelum would be too fast and technical for Joe Pyfer. But this is 2025. The one-time middleweight title challenger is simply not the athlete he once was. Pyfer is big, strong, and most importantly, younger. The UFC veteran feels like an old 33 at this point in his career. Look for the 28-year-old to get the biggest win of his life at UFC 316. Prediction: Pyfer by KO, Round 2
Mario Bautista (+150) vs. Patchy Mix (-180)
Patchy Mix has been one of the best bantamweights in the world, not in the UFC, over the last five years. He has outstanding grappling, is long and rangy, and is willing to throw down at any time. In his UFC debut, he gets a very tough test in fellow title fight hopeful Mario Bautista.
Bautista has proven himself at the highest level against established stars. He also has a win over talented grappler Ricky Simon. However, unlike Simon, Mix blends strong wrestling with dangerous BJJ. Look for this one to go all three rounds and be a razor-thin clash between two talented fighters in their prime. Prediction: Mix by split-decision
Vicente Luque (+180) vs. Kevin Holland (-218)
Both Vicente Luque and Kevin Holland have a ton of fight miles on their bodies. However, the big difference between them is that the Brazilian has shown far more obvious signs that he is beginning to exit his prime years. On the other hand, Holland is still fast and twitchy.
Furthermore, grapplers have always been the Americans’ biggest weakness. While he has good ground skills, grappling battles have never been Luque’s forte. Expect Holland to use his speed and range to score a big win at UFC 316. Prediction: Holland by TKO, Round 2
More About:UFC