With US President Donald Trump in attendance, Dvalishvili dominates challenger O’Malley in a third-round victory in New Jersey.
Merab Dvalishvili defeated Sean O’Malley effortlessly in the primary occasion of UFC 316 in Newark, New Jersey, securing a third-round modified choke of their rematch to retain the bantamweight championship.
With United States President Donald Trump watching from cageside on Saturday night time, Dvalishvili (20-4 MMA) emphatically displayed his wrestling base to tire out the previous champion and make an argument as one of many sport’s finest bantamweights, maybe of all time.
Dvalishvili, who received at 4:42 of the third spherical for his thirteenth consecutive victory, mentioned he would welcome his subsequent title defence in opposition to Cory Sandhagen (18-5 MMA), a winner of 4 of his final 5 fights.
“You’re the person, let’s go,” Dvalishvili mentioned, indicating that he can be thinking about combating Sandhagen subsequent.
O’Malley (18-3 MMA) fell to Dvalishvili final September by unanimous choice, relinquishing his title. O’Malley confirmed the loss is a minor setback, reassuring of a gradual return.
“100%, thanks guys for popping out,” O’Malley mentioned.
The ladies’s bantamweight title modified fingers within the co-main occasion, as Kayla Harrison submitted Julianna Pena with a second-round kimura, a submission approach often known as the double wristlock or reverse keylock.
Harrison and Pena embraced within the Octagon afterwards, exhibiting utmost class for each other after the 34-year-old managed each facet of the combat.
Harrison mentioned throughout her post-fight interview that her weight lower was so draining on Thursday night time that she “wished to give up”, however it will have been a mistake in her eyes, given that almost all fighters in MMA don’t win a UFC title.
Harrison (19-1 MMA) referred to as out Pena’s (13-6 MMA) former rival, Amanda Nunes. Nunes (23-5 MMA) is a former two-division champion who retired in 2023. As time handed, she teased a comeback. It now appears inevitable, as Harrison and Nunes posed for a face-off and talked of a bout later this 12 months, because the Prudential Middle crowd beamed.
Kevin Holland kicked off the UFC 316 foremost card in fashion, securing a D’Arce choke over Vicente Luque at 1:03 of the second spherical.
Holland (28-13 MMA) has now received three of his final 5, emphasising the necessity to stay a outstanding welterweight contender. Luque (23-11-1 MMA), who resides in New Jersey by way of Brazil, has misplaced two of his final three.
Middleweight Joe Pyfer made good on his UFC return, defeating TUF alumnus Kelvin Gastelum by unanimous choice 29-28, 29-27, 30-27.
Pyfer (14-3 MMA) has received his final two outings, whereas Gastelum (19-10 MMA) is within the midst of a stoop.
