The win punctuated Merab Dvalishvili’s octagon supremacy at UFC 316, as he choked Sean O’Malley with a third round modified choke. The competition took place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The 50th UFC bout held in Abu Dhabi to date, it honored Dvalishvili’s historic 13th straight win, bringing his mixed martial arts (MMA) record to 20-4. By winning this match, he went on to successfully defend his bantamweight championship belt.
The fight against O’Malley ended at 4:42 of the third round, solidifying Dvalishvili’s reputation as a formidable competitor in the bantamweight division. It was a satisfying upset rematch for each fighter in their respective categories. Combined with the original nature of the voted bout, this created an added intensity to the match. After his victory, Dvalishvili announced his plan to fight Cory Sandhagen next, showing that he wants to keep moving up the ladder.
Kamaru Usman picked up one of the biggest wins of his career thus far at UFC 316, defeating Joaquin Buckley by unanimous decision. One of the judges had it 49-46, with the remaining two scoring the match 48-47 and 49-46, respectively. This win was especially satisfying for Usman, who lost the title in November 2021. His overall MMA record is now 21-4.
“Those knockouts will come. I just needed to get that monkey off my back.” – Kamaru Usman
The event was special not only for its dramatic battles but its star-studded participants. All eyes were on former US President Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka Trump who made headlines with their star appearances.
Apart from the bantamweight championship matchup, UFC 316 had a ton of exciting fights on the card. Kayla Harrison won the women’s bantamweight championship after defeating Julianna Pena by second-round kimura submission. This victory marked a pivotal moment for Harrison, who has quickly established herself as a top competitor in her weight class.
Rose Namajunas claimed a highly competitive unanimous decision victory over Miranda Maverick, with judges scoring the fight 30-27, 30-27, and 29-28. This victory solidified Namajunas’s place as one of the best fighters in her weight class.
Mansur Abdul-Malik impressed fans from start to finish beating Cody Brundage by technical decision. The judges were untroubled, rendering 30-27, 29-28, and 29-28 in Mansur’s favor. Edmen Shahbazyan continued the run, taking a unanimous decision victory (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) over Andre Petroski.
Cody Garbrandt suffered an embarrassing knockout loss to Raoni Barcelos. Garbrandt ended up losing by unanimous decision with all three judges scoring the fight 29-28, making it a huge career blow.
The energy at UFC 316 was electric. Line-warming competition and the candidacy of celebrity outsider Donald Trump were among the factors that ratcheted up that energy. As the event concluded, fighters like Dvalishvili and Usman left their marks on the sport, setting the stage for future matchups that fans eagerly anticipate.
