The next pay-per-view card on the 2025 UFC schedule is nearly upon us. That event, UFC 316, takes place on Saturday, June 7, and is headlined by bantamweight title fights in the men’s and women’s divisions. The event also features the UFC debut of a high-profile free agent signing who competes on short notice on the PPV portion of the UFC 316 fight card.

The main event of UFC 316 finds UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili facing the man he took the title from, Sean O’Malley, in a rematch. Their first meeting took place at UFC 306. Meanwhile, in the fight card’s co-main event, two-time women’s bantamweight champ Julianna Pena looks to do what she could not in her first title run, make a successful defense of her crown. Pena faces former two-time PFL lightweight tournament winner Kayla Harrison.

Also appearing on the UFC 316 PPV fight card is former Bellator bantamweight champion Patchy Mix, who makes his short-notice UFC debut against Mario Bautista at 135 pounds.

ForbesUFC 316 Main Event Odds And Predictions: Dvalishvili Vs. O’Malley 2By Trent Reinsmith

UFC 316 Fight Card: Date

Saturday, June 7, 2025

UFC 316 Fight Card: Location

Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey

UFC 316 Fight Card: How to Watch Or Stream

Main Card: ESPN+ PPV

Preliminary Card: ESPN and ESPN+

Early Prelims: UFC Fight Pass and ESPN+

UFC 316 Fight Card: Fight Card Time

Early Prelims: 6:00 p.m. ET

Prelims: 8:00 p.m. ET

Main Card: 10:00 p.m. ET

UFC 316 Fight Card Main Event: Merab Dvalishvili Vs. Sean O’Malley 2

Merab Dvalishvili (19-4), a long-time training partner of former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling stepped into the spotlight of the promotion’s 135-pound division in September 2014 when he scored a unanimous decision win over then-champion Sean O’Malley in the main event of UFC 306.

The 33-year-old Dvalishvili joined the UFC in 2017 as much-hyped prospect. At the time, Dvalishvili was 7-2 and had won and defended the Ring of Combat bantamweight crown.

Dvalishvili did not have a smooth start to his UFC run, losing his first two fights. Falling to Frankie Saenz by decision, and the second, to Ricky Simon, via submission. In September 2018, things clicked in place for the Serra-Longo Fight Team product, and he has not lost since.

Heading into UFC 306, Dvalishvili was on a 10-fight winning streak. Prior to his matchup against O’Malley, Dvalishvili had defeated Marlon Moraes, Jose Aldo, Petr Yan, and Henry Cejudo. The win over O’Malley stretched his winning streak to 11 straight. Dvalishvili extended that streak to 12 when he defended his title with a unanimous decision win over the previously unbeaten Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311.

Sean O’Malley (18-2-0-1) was 7-0 with six finishes when he got the chance to fight for a UFC contract on the first season of Dana White’s Contender Series back in 2017. O’Malley, scored a first-round knockout, and a UFC contract that night.

He went 4-0 in his first bouts with the promotion, picking up three fight-night bonus awards for his efforts, including a brutal one-punch KO win over UFC veteran Eddie Wineland at UFC 250.

The win over Wineland put O’Malley at No. 14 in the UFC bantamweight rankings and got him a fight against Marlon “Chito” Vera. Vera won that fight by TKO, handing O’Malley the only defeat on his record.

The loss to Vera knocked O’Malley out of the rankings, but he bounced back in his next fight, knocking out Thomas Almeida and earning another fight-night bonus in the process. He followed that win with a TKO win over Kris Moutinho.

Despite those back-to-back wins, O’Malley remained unranked when he next stepped into the Octagon for a December 2021 matchup against Raulian Paiva. O’Malley wrapped that fight up with a knockout at the 4:42 mark of the first round. That victory put O’Malley back in the rankings.

O’Malley’s next bout ended in a no contest, when an eye poke in the second round left Pedro Munhoz unable to continue.

Then, in October 2022, O’Malley was matched up with former UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan. He entered that contest as the +230 underdog to the -275 ex-champ. The pair went the three-round distance, with O’Malley getting the split decision nod. That victory set up O’Malley to face Sterling in August 2023.

O’Malley has not fought since his loss to Dvalishvili. He is the No. 1 fighter in the official UFC bantamweight rankings.

ForbesUFC 316 Fight Card Odds And Predictions: Pena Vs. HarrisonBy Trent Reinsmith

UFC 316 Fight Card Co-Main Event: Julianna Pena Vs. Kayla Harrison

Julianna Pena (12-5) earned her UFC contract by winning Season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter. A member of Team Tate, Pena knocked out Jessica Rakoczy in the first round of their November 2013 matchup. The win moved Pena’s record to 5-2.

Pena ran off three victories after that, beating Milana Dudieva, Jessica Eye and Cat Zingano before Valentina Shevchenko ended her winning streak with a January 2017 armbar submission.

In October 2017 Pena announced her pregnancy. When she returned to action in July 2019, Pena defeated Nicco Montano by decision. A submission loss to De Randamie in October 2020 followed.

In January 2021, Pena submitted Sara McMann. Pena, sitting at No. 3 in the women’s bantamweight rankings, earned a shot at Amanda Nunes and her bantamweight title in December 2021. She entered that contest as a -650 underdog to the champ, who was the -1000 betting favorite.

In one of the more shocking upsets in UFC title fight history, Pena submitted Nunes in the second round, ending the Brazilian’s title reign.

Pena’s time at the top of the division was short, as Nunes won their July 2022 rematch by decision.

Pena was set to face Nunes in a trilogy bout at UFC 289, but an injury knocked the former champ from that scrap. Nunes defeated Pena’s replacement, Irene Aldana, on that card and then retired.

When Pena returned to action it was at UFC 307 where she defeated then-champion Raquel Pennington via split decision. She makes her first defense of that belt at UFC 316.

A two-time Olympic gold medal winner in judo (2012 and 2016), Kayla Harrison (18-1) made her MMA debut in the 155-pound division with PFL in 2018. Harrison ran over her first six opponents, picking up three submissions, two knockouts, and a decision before winning the women’s lightweight title by defeating Larissa Pacheco by decision.

In November 2020, Harrison defeated Courtney King by TKO in a 145-pound scrap. Shen then moved back to 155 pounds. In 2021, Harrison won the PFL 155-pound tournament with a submission win over Taylor Guardado.

By 2022, Harrison had amassed a 15-0 record. However, her unbeaten ended in the finals of the 2022 PFL lightweight tourney when Pacheco scored a unanimous decision win over Harrison. The ex-champ fought once more for the PFL, beating former UFC fighter Aspen Ladd via decision in November 2023 in a 150-pound catchweight fight.

In January 2024, the UFC announced it had signed Harrison and that her promotional debut would take place in the 135-pound weight class. Harrison impressed in that performance, submitting former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm by submission in the second round at UFC 400.

In her next, and most recent, outing, Harrison defeated Ketlen Vieira via unanimous decision.

Harrison is the No. 2 ranked fighter in the official UFC women’s 135-pound rankings.

ForbesUFC 316 Fight Card Odds And Predictions: Pena Vs. HarrisonBy Trent Reinsmith

UFC 316 Fight Card: Kelvin Gastelum Vs. Joe Pyfer

Kelvin Gastelum (19-9-0-1) has been with the UFC since April 2013, when he won Season 17 of “The Ultimate Fighter” with a split decision over Uriah Hall. The victory over Hall put Gastelum’s professional record at 7-0.

Gastelum dropped to welterweight for his next UFC fight. He remained unbeaten through 2014, losing his first fight in January 2015 when Tyron Woodley defeated him via split decision.

Gastelum missed weight for the Woodley matchup, coming in at 180. It was not his first issue on the scale as a member of the UFC roster. He also came in heavy for his June 2014 win over Nico Musoke, weighing 172.75. Weight issues have plagued Gastelum throughout his UFC career, as he has struggled at times to make welterweight and middleweight.

Gastelum’s career has been up and down since his loss to Woodley. Since that 2015 clash, his record stands at 8-8-0-1, and he has not won more than two fights in a row.
The 33-year-old is a very talented fighter, but his struggles to make weight and consistency issues inside the cage have hurt him. The high point of Gastelum’s career is his 2019 interim UFC middleweight title fight opposite Israel Adesanya, a bout that recently enshrined the two men in the UFC Hall of Fame.

Gastelum has a 3-6 record dating back to April 2019, when he faced Adesanya. He is coming off a June 2024 unanimous decision win over Daniel Rodriguez.

Joe Pyfer (13-3) had a first go at gaining a UFC contract in 2020 at a Dana White Contender Series event. At the time, the 23-year-old was 7-1. His only career loss to that point was a second-round submission setback to Jhonoven Pati under the Ring of Combat banner. Pyfer lost the ROC middleweight championship in that outing. Pyfer faced Dustin Stoltzfus on that DWCS card.

Pyfer looked good in the early going of that matchup, walking down his foe and looking to land powerful strikes. With a bit over two minutes left in the first round, Pyfer scored an easy takedown on Stoltzfus, who calmly looked to set up a submission while Pyfer did his best to create openings to land heavy ground strikes. With the clock ticking down, Stoltzfus stood and went for a slam takedown. Pyfer landed with all his weight on his extended right arm, causing an injury that ended the fight.

Pyfer recovered from that injury, but he did not fight again until he earned a first-round knockout win over Austin Trotman on a Cage Fury fight card.

The UFC gave Pyfer a second opportunity to earn a contract in July 2022. Pyfer faced Ozzy Diaz on a DWCS card. Pyfer was a +100 betting underdog at that event.

Pyfer didn’t mess around on the feet against Diaz. He scored a takedown inside the first minute and then worked for a submission until Diaz reversed Pyfer with two minutes left in the round. Diaz could not keep Pyfer on the mat, as Pyfer worked back to his feet, where he scored with low kicks and an effective jab.

In the second stanza, Pyfer pressured Diaz and then, showing off his power, ended the fight with a powerful left hook that put his opponent on his back.

In awarding Pyfer a UFC contract, UFC CEO Dana White said, “If you want to get into the UFC, and this is where you want to be, act like Joe Pyfer. Okay? Be Joe Pyfer. Be excited to be here. Be fired up to fight. Try to finish the fight. Try to win. Be Joe Pyfer, and you will get into the UFC.”

Pyfer put together a 3-0 run under the UFC banner between September 2022 and October 2023, scoring three stoppages and two “Performance of the Night” bonuses.

Seeing promise in Pyfer, the UFC booked him in a main event against veteran Jack Hermansson in February 2024. Pyfer was a favorite in that matchup, but he fell short, as Hermansson’s veteran skills showed gaps in Pyfer’s game.

Pyfer rebounded from that loss with a first-round knockout win over Marc-André Barriault at UFC 303.

ForbesUFC 316 Fight Card Odds And Predictions: Mario Bautista Vs. Patchy MixBy Trent Reinsmith

UFC 316 Fight Card: Mario Bautista Vs. Patchy Mix

Patchy Mix (20-1) comes too the UFC following his release by PFL. The 31-year-old Mix is riding a seven-fight undefeated streak. He won the interim Bellator bantamweight title in April 2023 with a knockout victory over Raufeon Stots. Then, in November 2023, Mix unified the Bellator 135-pound titles with a submission victory over Sergio Pettis. In his most recent outing, Mix defended his crown with a split decision win over Magomed Magomedov in May 2024.

Mix’s only professional defeat came in September 2020 when Juan Archuleta defeated him via unanimous decision in a contest for the vacant Bellator bantamweight crown.

Mario Bautista (15-2) has been with the UFC since 2019. The 31-year-old opened his UFC run with a 2-2 record, but he is unbeaten since early 2022, with a run of seven straight wins. In his most recent outing, Bautista defeated Jose Aldo via split decision at UFC 307 in October 2024.

ForbesUFC 316 Fight Card Odds And Predictions: Luque Vs. HollandBy Trent Reinsmith

UFC 316 Fight Card: Vicente Luque Vs. Kevin Holland

Vicente Luque (23-10-1) enters UFC 316 as the No. 14 fighter in the official UFC welterweight rankings. The 33-year-old has been with the UFC since July 2015. Luque had some good winning streaks in his early days with the UFC, putting together winning runs of four fights, six fights, and four fights, but whenever he stepped up to face top-level competition, he faltered. The opponents who ended Luque’s winning runs were Leon Edwards, Stephen Thompson, and Belal Muhammad.

Luque is 2-2 since losing to Muhammad in 2022. He has wins over Rafael dos Anjos and Themba Gorimbo, while his losses have come via knockout against Geoff Neal and Joaquin Buckley. In his most recent outing, Luque earned a technical submission stoppage over Gorimbo. That fight took place in December.

ForbesUFC 316 Fight Card: Prelims Odds, Picks And PredictionsBy Trent Reinsmith

Kevin Holland (27-13-0-1) was 12-3 when he earned his shot at a UFC contract on a Dana White’s Contender Series card in June 2018. Despite getting a win, UFC CEO Dana White did not offer Holland a contract.

However, Holland got the chance to fight for the UFC in August 2018 when Thiago Santos needed a short-notice opponent. Holland has been one of the more active UFC competitors since losing that contest by decision, fighting at middleweight and welterweight.

Holland followed the loss to Santos with an 8-1 run, a stretch that included five victories between May 2020 and December 2020. His last win of that run was a “Performance of the Night” bonus-winning knockout of ex-Strikeforce champion Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza.

Holland’s career has been up-and-down since the highlight-reel win over Souza. He has a 5-7-0-1 record since then, never winning, or losing, more than two fights in a row.

Holland is 2-2 in his past four outings with a submission win over Michal Oleksiejczuk, a corner stoppage TKO loss to Roman Dolidze, a submission setback to Reinier de Ridder, and most recently, a decision win over Gunnar Nelson in March.

ForbesUFC 316 Fight Card: Early Prelims Odds, Picks And PredictionsBy Trent Reinsmith

We will have more on UFC 316, including results, reactions and highlights on fight night.