UFC 316 takeaways: Merab Dvalishvili, Kayla Harrison deliver the best of all time debates again into focus

UFC 316 set the muse for a number of the subsequent title fights we’ll see sooner or later, as Merab Dvalishvili beat Sean O’Malley to retain the boys’s bantamweight title and Kayla Harrison knocked off Julianna Peña to assert the ladies’s bantamweight championship. Each Dvalishvili and Harrison received by way of submission.

Dvalishvili and Harrison’s subsequent opponents look like all however set. It is anticipated that Cory Sandhagen will problem Dvalishvili, whereas the brand new girls’s bantamweight title holder is predicted to face the ladies’s MMA GOAT, Amanda Nunes, in her subsequent combat. Nunes introduced that she’s going to return to face the winner of Harrison-Peña earlier this week.

Brett Okamoto and Andreas Hale provide their takeaways from the most important moments at UFC 316.

‘Dvalishvili is the bantamweight GOAT’ might not be a scorching take anymore

There have been some distinctive bantamweights in UFC historical past however it could be time to anoint Merab Dvalishvili as the best of all of them.

Sure, even whereas he is nonetheless energetic.

Dvalishvili made it look simpler the second time round towards O’Malley and submitted the previous champion within the third spherical at UFC 316. No, he would not have as many title combat wins as TJ Dillashaw (5), Dominick Cruz (4) or his teammate, Aljamain Sterling (4), however the stage of dominance that he has demonstrated since beginning his UFC tenure 0-2 is astounding.

Dvalishvili prolonged his successful streak to 13, two behind Islam Makhachev’s 15 for the lead amongst energetic fighters. He additionally added to his all-time lead in profitable takedowns with 5 towards O’Malley. That brings his present complete to 97 in 15 fights. The exclamation level on his exceptional run is that no choose has scored a combat in favor of his opponent. He is defeated José Aldo, O’Malley (twice), Henry Cejudo, Petr Yan and Umar Nurmagomedov. All however Nurmagomedov have held UFC gold. The bantamweight division is a loaded weight class that’s arguably essentially the most stacked within the promotion’s historical past.

Watching him placed on one more suffocating efficiency towards the division’s premier striker in O’Malley cemented his standing. Between his improved putting, absurd cardio and relentless stress, it is going to be arduous to discover a fighter with the proper mixture to beat Dvalishvili. Sandhagen seems to be subsequent in line and presents some challenges along with his size, however Sterling sliced proper by means of him in 2020 and can certainly present tips to his teammate.

It is humorous to assume that Dvalishvili acquired a lot criticism for not combating Sterling, however the actuality was that he was loyal to his pal and easily waited for a title alternative to current itself. Now that he holds gold, it would not seem like there’s any true risk to his reign. Former Bellator champion Patchy Combine was considered a formidable challenger however put up a dud in a loss towards Mario Bautista on Saturday.

What’s scary is Dvalishvili hasn’t even reached his remaining type. His efficiency towards O’Malley showcased a fighter who continues to be enhancing and including instruments to his recreation. His submission of O’Malley was his first within the UFC and solely the second in his total MMA profession. Now that he is including a ending ingredient to his skillset, the hole between Dvalishvili and the remainder of the division could solely widen. — Hale

Kayla Harrison is the favourite over Amanda Nunes in my eyes

Name me over-reactive, however Chael Sonnen dropped a line this week main as much as UFC 316 and it has caught with me. “You do not get higher at one thing by not doing it.”

Nunes is the GOAT and which may actually by no means change. She has set such a legacy in MMA, it is almost inconceivable to surpass it. However Harrison fully ran by means of Peña. There have been issues about how she would deal with the reduce to 135 kilos and what it would do to her cardio, however she’s appeared to basically grasp one of the crucial tough weight cuts within the sport.

She’s aware of Nunes from their time as sparring companions at American Prime Workforce, so there will not be as a lot of an “aura” issue for Harrison to beat. MMA is a sport through which you may get previous in a single day, and despite the fact that I do not consider that is what has occurred or will occur to the 37-year-old Nunes, I believe it could be naive to count on her to come back again higher than she was when she retired in 2023.

Typically, a psychological break could be nice, however this quick retirement would not actually qualify as that to me. This seems like Nunes completed what she wished to in MMA already however misses the game. I consider she’ll look good and has an opportunity to win. I am not instantly saying the “Lioness” is not champion materials, however Harrison is the favourite in my eyes. — Okamoto

Combine continues ‘Octagon jitters’ idea with poor efficiency

I am unsure who that man was within the Octagon towards Bautista, however it certainly wasn’t former Bellator bantamweight champion Patchy Combine. The hype surrounding Combine’s UFC debut was palpable due to his distinctive grappling pedigree. Nevertheless, Combine fully deserted his calling card in a weird debut and opted to make it a straightforward night time for Bautista by putting with him for quarter-hour.

UFC CEO Dana White has routinely cited the “Octagon jitters,” a time period to explain the anxiousness and nerves fighters expertise earlier than competing within the UFC for the primary time, and Combine did subsequent to nothing to dispel the notion. Combine was gradual, tentative and never remotely near the fighter many thought could be a contender within the bantamweight division. His efficiency was on par with Patricio Pitbull’s UFC debut towards Yair Rodriguez at UFC 314 in April, which was additionally a far cry from the wrecking machine that made him arguably the best fighter in Bellator historical past.

Combine could have loads of possibilities to show himself throughout his UFC tenure. However dropping a choice with out even trying a takedown till the ultimate spherical towards Bautista suggests the Octagon jitters phenomenon may be actual. — Hale