5 Burning Questions for UFC 316
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As UFC 316 approaches, the stakes couldn’t be higher—and neither could the intrigue surrounding the event’s biggest storylines. From divisive title shots to potential breakout stars, the card is filled with compelling matchups and underlying questions that could reshape entire divisions. In this installment of 5 Burning Questions, we dive deep into the most pressing topics ahead of Saturday night’s card:
#1. Do you think Sean O’Malley deserved the title shot and an immediate rematch against Merab Dvalishvili?
Lee: This is always a tricky question to answer. Some champions have done enough to warrant an immediate rematch. In this case, I’d argue that Sean O’Malley should have been required to earn another fight before getting another shot. Merab Dvalishvili, fresh off a dominant win over the previously undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov, has shown he’s still evolving. Can we say the same about O’Malley? At the end of the day, traditional matchmaking often takes a backseat when the priority becomes filling seats and selling PPVs.
Evan: Lee makes valid points across the board. If you’ve watched or been around this sport for long enough, you should know that a fighter being the most deserving means nothing to the UFC. They’re running a business at the end of the day. So while O’Malley might not deserve this title shot, or rematch with Dvalishvili, it’s not surprising he received it. He additionally benefits from their being no definitive, clear cut top contender in the bantamweight division at the moment.
If you look at the top five currently, Cory Sandhagen, Petr Yan, and Song Yadong all could’ve been put in this spot instead. However, Yan was thoroughly dominated by Merab in their fight back in March 2023. Sandhagen probably has the best case of the three. However, he also lost to Umar Nurmagomedov last year, and was defeated by Yan in 2021. Yadong on the other hand, was beaten by both Sandhagen and Yan recently which severely hurts his argument. When you take that granular view of the landscape of 135, it’s easy to see why the promotion awarded Sean the title shot. The timing worked in his favor, and so did his superior star power over the aforementioned trio of contenders.
#2. What adjustments can O’Malley make that give him a realistic chance of beating Merab this time?
Lee: There is no way to train for Merab’s constant pressure and cardio. But O’Malley can strengthen one of his noticeable weaknesses, his grappling and wrestling. Bringing in Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson is a great way to shore up that weakness. Johnson’s supreme grappling and wrestling skills make him the perfect coach to help O’Malley with this aspect of his game. Healed from a torn labrum should also allow him to stop takedowns and defend properly. Some will say this is a reach… But, O’Malley needs to treat this fight as if this is his last chance to fight for the title. A desperate fighter can be more focused and a very dangerous opponent.
Evan: As Lee mentioned, the first adjustment O’Malley can make is just being healthy coming into this fight. With that torn labrum now repaired and recovered, it will seemingly help Sean in a variety of ways. His mobility, footwork, and ability to get in better shape all should theoretically be better this time around. From a tactical standpoint, O’Malley has to stay off the cage at all costs, throw more impactful strikes up the middle, and deter the Georgian champion’s frenetic takedown attempts.
According to UFC Stats, Merab took Sean down six times in their first outing and controlled him for over 10 minutes. He completely nullified Suga’s best weapon, which is his striking, and dictated the terms of the entire fight. O’Malley is one of the best snipers in the sport, he averages 6.7 significant strikes landed per minute. Against Dvalishvili, he averaged an egregious 1.9 significant strikes landed per minute. If he wants to regain his title, Sean has to find a way to consistently thwart Merab’s takedowns while simultaneously increasing the output of damaging offense he lands.
#3. With the women’s division currently in a bit of a stale era, could a Julianna Peña vs. Kayla Harrison fight help revitalize it?
Lee: I’ll keep this short: Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes is the fight that could revitalize women’s MMA. Amanda is the greatest female fighter in the sport’s history. Kayla is proving to be the most dominant fighter in the game today. She has shown she can make the weight and that her dominance in the PFL was no fluke. Since joining the UFC, her goal has been clear—fight Amanda Nunes and prove who the best female fighter on the planet truly is. That said, a potential Zhang Weili vs. Valentina Shevchenko matchup could also give women’s MMA the jolt it needs.
Evan: Ya I’m not sure it’s much of a debate. The only fight that will fully revitalize women’s MMA right now is Amanda Nunes-Kayla Harrison. The storylines and stakes are about as good as it gets. I think the one other thing that could add some juice on that same level, even more so than a Weili-Shevchenko super fight, is if Dakota Ditcheva were to leave the PFL to join the UFC. The top promotion in the sport acquiring a budding 26-year-old superstar, could be the injection of excitement the division needs. On the other hand, there’s nothing Julianna Peña can do to provide a spark to the women’s side of things. The fandom has already made their feelings on her pretty clear, for better or worse. While she’s a gritty, tough, action fighter, the cringey schtick and character she’s chosen to play just hasn’t seemingly resonated with fans.
#4. What kind of splash or impact can Patchy Mix immediately make on the UFC’s bantamweight division?
Lee: I’m going to straddle the fence a bit with this one. Patchy Mix has a chance to make a big splash—if he wins, he could crack the UFC’s top 10 immediately. But with a loss, critics may label him as overrated. Yair Rodriguez recently beat former Bellator champ “Pitbull” Freire in his UFC debut, which may have already planted doubts about Bellator talent making the jump. Michael Chandler arrived with high expectations and has had mixed results. Even Michael ‘Venom’ Page has proven he belongs on the big stage. In many ways, Mix holds the future perception of Bellator fighters in his hands. A win could open the UFC’s doors to more Bellator talent. A loss might force the promotion to re-evaluate those signings.
Evan: I believe Patchy Mix can definitely make a seismic impact on the current landscape of the UFC’s bantamweight division. With his monstrous size for the weight class, well-rounded skill set, finishing instincts, and unwavering confidence, he’s easily one of the most dangerous contenders in the promotion today—especially at a time when the 135-pound division could use a fresh face to break through in the title picture.
With that being said, Mix is coming off of a somewhat lackluster performance in his last fight. He eked out a decision win in his rematch with Magomed Magomedov. Patchy got exposed a little bit and I’m curious if that’s a sign of things to come. He also has an incredibly tough debut opponent in Mario Bautista who is extremely game, and has a tricky style to deal with. But if the Patchy Mix that ran through the 2023 Bellator Bantamweight World Grand Prix like butter shows up in New Jersey, the roster might have a new boogeyman to deal with.
#5. What fight or fighters on this card do you think fans could be overlooking or sleeping on?
Lee: The fighter that I will have my eyes on is fighting in the very first fight, Khaos Williams. Win or lose this guy is looking to knock his opponent unconscious. He may never fight for a title or be ranked, but his fights are always entertaining. Missing his fights could mean you may miss the KO of the year. Coming into this fight with a 6-inch reach advantage, I see Khaos using his jab to set up his power shots. Andreas Gustafsson’s chin is going to be severely tested in this fight.
Evan: I just gotta be honest, outside of the main card, this is a pretty underwhelming PPV. I am looking forward to the featured prelim though between top-15-ranked flyweights, Bruno Gustavo da Silva and Joshua Van. Both of these guys are 4-1 in their last five Octagon appearances and Van specifically seems to be really coming on strong. The 23-year-old Myanmar product has the potential to be a breakout star for the promotion. He has a versatile skillset that looks to be constantly growing with each fight. It feels like Van could be on the cusp of becoming a legitimate title contender at 125 within the next year or so.
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