We’re now just a few days out from UFC 316, and several fighters on the stacked card will enter the cage carrying a bit of a chip on their shoulders.
Set to go down at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, UFC 316 is topped by a rematch for the men’s bantamweight belt between reigning champion Merab Dvalishvili and former titleholder Sean O’Malley.
Women’s bantamweight gold will also be on the line in the co-main event when Julianna Peña opens her second title reign against Kayla Harrison, and both the UFC 316 main card and prelims are loaded with intriguing fights that are sure to provide fireworks for the crowd in Newark.
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Several fighters at UFC 316 will find themselves under particularly close scrutiny when they enter the Octagon, but arguably nobody has more to prove on Saturday night than two-time bantamweight queen Peña.
Winner of The Ultimate Fighter 18, Peña famously submitted future UFC Hall of Famer Amanda Nunes at UFC 269 to claim the women’s bantamweight title and earn a “Performance of the Night” bonus for one of the biggest title fight upsets in the promotion’s history.
“The Venezuelan Vixen” was soundly beaten by Nunes in their immediate rematch, and when the Brazilian retired following her title defense against Irene Aldana it set the stage for Peña to reclaim the vacant bantamweight belt with a split decision over Raquel Pennington at UFC 307.
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It’s rare to see a defending champion not lined as at least a slight favorite heading into a title defense, but Peña is currently a massive underdog to Olympic gold medalist and former PFL star Kayla Harrison just a few days out from UFC 316.
There’s an argument to be made that Harrison has the most to prove at UFC 316 given how big of a favorite she is and the scrutiny she’s faced since finally joining the UFC last year, but if Peña wants to potentially complete her trilogy with Nunes then the 35-year-old will need to shock odds makers and a large portion of the MMA fanbase on Saturday night.
Sean O’Malley
Still one of the biggest stars on the UFC roster even after losing his belt, O’Malley was soundly beaten when he and Dvalishvili first shared the cage together at UFC 306 last September.
“Suga” hasn’t competed since losing his belt at Sphere via unanimous decision, and following some time off the 30-year-old has been given a huge chance at redemption with this immediate rematch after Dvalishvili successfully defended the bantamweight belt against the formerly-undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov.
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Patchy Mix
Most combat sports fans acknowledged that Patricio Pitbull’s UFC debut against Yair Rodriguez came far later in Pitbull’s career than would have been preferred, but fellow ex-Bellator champion Mix joins the promotion in the prime of his career.
Riding a seven-fight win streak that most recently saw Mix defend the Bellator bantamweight title against Magomed Magomedov last year, “No Love” has been handed a stiff test in the #10-ranked Mario Bautista but could vault right into bantamweight title contention with a win at UFC 316.
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