UFC 316: Five Things We Learned

UFC 316: Five Things We Learned

UFC 316 was a hyped-up fight card that delivered a few strong performances. The two championship fights resulted in sensational performances that culminated in finishes. Meanwhile, the remainder of the main card saw a few recognizable fighters show positive improvements in victories.

Merab Dvalishvili Shows His Finishing Abilities

In the UFC 316 main event, Merab Dvalishvili submitted Sean O’Malley with a north-south choke to defend the bantamweight title. The victory is the first finish win of his title reign.

Dvalishvili looked sensational for as long as the UFC 316 main event lasted. In the striking exchanges, he was pressuring O’Malley and landing the bigger punchers. That helped him set up takedowns. O’Malley did a much better job defending than he did in the pair’s first bout; however, Dvalishvili did great work once he landed takedowns. Once Dvalishvili landed a takedown, he began to land mat returns and got to strong positions. This took a toll on O’Malley and allowed Dvalishvili to find a submission.

This was a great showing for Dvalishvili. It is not a shock that he managed to be victorious. Although, he was able to show off his finishing abilities. In his 13-fight win streak, this is only his second finish. The run of decision victories resulted in his finish upside being undersold. That will not be the case moving forward.

Kayla Harrison Is Now The Crowned Queen Of Bantamweight

Kayla Harrison has long been the uncrowned queen of the women’s bantamweight division. At UFC 316, she finally got the opportunity to win the title, and she did so in impressive fashion. Harrison walked away as champion after submitting Julianna Peña with a kimura in the second round.

Harrison proved why so many people believe her to be the uncrowned champion of the division. She dominated in this fight. On the feet, she patiently pressured Peña before closing the distance and getting to the clinch. In the clinch, she slowly worked toward the takedowns until she got the fight to the ground.

In the top position, Harrison did remarkable work. She controlled position, landed strikes, threatened submission, and eventually landed a kimura that forced Peña to tap.

This was a one-sided victory for Harrison. Peña did very little outside of surviving. Harrison did not put herself in bad positions, which made it difficult for Peña to get any offense off. At the same time, Harrison’s time in top position helped ensure she managed her gas tank.

This was a great showing from Harrison that demonstrates exactly why she is such a difficult fighter to beat. Her physicality edge is remarkable and will play a massive role in every one of her fights. She rightfully earned her championship belt.

Joe Pyfer Gets His First Decision Win In The UFC

At UFC 316, Joe Pyfer earned a decision win over Kelvin Gastelum. The win is the first decision victory during his UFC tenure.

In the first round, Pyfer hit Gastelum with massive shots. He recorded multiple knockdowns and a handful of massive strikes. Thankfully for Gastelum, he has a rock-solid chin and has never finished. In turn, that helped draw out the fight and force it to go three rounds.

This is not the most remarkable performance from Pyfer; however, there are a few solid takeaways. In the first round, he looked great and did a bunch of damage. In the second and third, the fight was fought at a much slower pace. That is partially because Pyfer was much more patient and searched for counters. Still, he did enough to get the victory.

This was not the most exciting fight. Although, Pyfer showed positive traits that can help provide a positive outlook for his future. It was good to see Pyfer be more patient and manage his cardio properly. Those are traits that he can take into future fights. Plus, few fighters can eat the shots Gastelum did.

Mario Bautista Continues To Look Impressive

At UFC 316, Mario Bautista earned a decision win over Patchy Mix. It was another strong performance from Bautista that extended his win streak to eight.

Bautista exposed Mix’s striking defense. In the striking exchanges, Bautista fought at a high pace while attacking the head and body. This was a clear victory for Bautista. He was one step ahead in the striking exchanges, was more active, more accurate, and landed the bigger strikes.

The only downside to Bautista’s performance is that he did not get the finish. In the third round, he could have been more aggressive and finished the fight. It would have been massive if he could have finished the fight, considering his current status with the casual fan.

Despite not being a fan favorite, Bautista continues to climb the bantamweight rankings. It is happening slowly, but he is climbing those ranks one step at a time.

UFC Vegas 107 Preview And Predictions

Kevin Holland Appears Locked In

The UFC 316 main card opened with a welterweight fight between Kevin Holland and Vicente Luque. Holland has had highs and lows in his career, but his best always comes when he is competing at welterweight. That was true for this matchup. The fan-favorite looked in a D’Arce choke to finish Luque in the second round.

This was a strong showing from Holland. In the first round, he managed distance and fired big strikes from the outside. That is a crucial skill for Holland because of his length in comparison to the rest of the welterweight division.

Throughout this fight, Holland got the better of the striking exchanges. The lone exception was a big left hook from Luque.

This fight turned on its head the second Holland attempted the D’Arce choke. He locked in that submission and forced Luque to tap in seconds. Holland’s submission game is well-known. That said, Luque is definitely the best grappling he has submitted.

I am not attempting to make the case that Holland can be a world champion, but he is locked in and competing at welterweight. As long as those two things hold true, he can win ranked fights. The biggest question is if that lasts for a long period.

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