Global News Post Fastest Global News Portal
Related Articles
Georgia’s Merab Dvalishvili, left, celebrates after profitable his bantamweight identify bout in opposition to Sean O’Malley on the UFC 316 combined martial arts tournament Sunday, June 8, 2025 in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
NEWARK, New Jersey — Merab Dvalishvili retained his 135-pound championship when he tapped out Sean O’Malley within the 3rd spherical in the primary tournament of UFC 316 on Saturday evening on the Prudential Center.
Dvalishvili, a 34-year-old from the rustic of Georgia, gained the belt in a powerful — regardless that no longer aesthetically gratifying — unanimous choice remaining yr over O’Malley. Dvalishvili had his quantity within the rematch in entrance of a packed crowd that integrated President Donald Trump and retired heavyweight nice Mike Tyson.
READ: UFC contender Sean O’Malley hand over weed, social media and hair dye
Feeling on most sensible of the arena 👏
[ #UFC316 | @MerabDvalishvil ] pic.twitter.com/OeCek43BPV— UFC (@ufc) June 8, 2025
Dvalishvili (19-4) sat on most sensible of the cage and bellowed towards the enthusiasts within the get started of an exuberant party of his 13th immediately MMA victory.
“I’m on top of the world!,” he mentioned within the cage.
He used to be the one 135-pound champion at the card who gained his bout.
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison is now a UFC champion.
Harrison tapped out 135-pound champion Julianna Peña with 5 seconds left in the second one spherical so as to add any other primary championship in her combat occupation.
READ: UFC 306: Dvalishvili beats Sean O’Malley at impressive Sphere
No U.S. judoka — guy or lady — had ever gained an Olympic gold medal earlier than Harrison beat Britain’s Gemma Gibbons to win the ladies’s 78-kilogram department on the 2012 London Olympics. She gained gold once more 4 years later on the Rio de Janeiro Games and made her MMA debut in 2018.
The 34-year-old Harrison used to be a two-time $1 million prize champion within the Professional Fighters League light-weight championship department earlier than she moved directly to UFC remaining yr. She gained her first two UFC bouts and her file — now a glowing 19-1 in MMA general — coupled along with her status made her an speedy contender for a identify shot.
She wanted simply 3 fights to turn into a champion.
Harrison dropped to her knees in a teary party. She then referred to as out Amanda Nunes, who retired in 2023 however mentioned forward of the combat she would go back to the cage to combat the winner.
READ: UFC 299: Sean O’Malley keeps belt with win over Marion Vera
It seems a identify combat with Harrison looms in UFC.
Harrison referred to as out Nunes to go into the hoop and after some encouragement from announcer Joe Rogan for safety to open the cage door, she walked and the 2 went face-to-face. Nunes mentioned she would certainly combat Harrison someday for the 135-pound belt.
The crowd went wild as the 2 engaged in a short lived staredown.
They had roared in satisfaction hours previous when Trump walked out to a thunderous status ovation simply forward of the beginning of the UFC pay-per-view card. Trump used to be accompanied through UFC President Dana White and the pair headed to their cageside seats for UFC 316 to Kid Rock’s “American Bad Ass.”
READ: UFC: Sean O’Malley stops Aljamain Sterling to win bantamweight identify
Harrison left the cage after the win and hugged Trump and posed for pictures with the President and his entourage.
It wasn’t the one nod to Trump’s newest look at a UFC combat.
UFC fighter Kevin Holland choked out Vicente Luque to win the primary combat with Trump within the development. He scaled the cage and shook palms with Trump. He in short chatted with Trump and White earlier than he returned for his post-fight interview.
Your subscription may just no longer be stored. Please take a look at once more.
Your subscription has been a success.
Joe Pyfer draped himself within the American flag after he defeated Kelvin Gastelum in a middleweight bout through unanimous choice.
“We’ve got the President of the United States! We’ve got Mike Tyson,” Pyfer bellowed within the cage.
