UFC 316 Predictions: Experts Lean Towards Dvalishvili and Harrison
Table of Contents
Mixed martial arts enthusiasts are eagerly anticipating UFC 316, headlined by
Sean O’Malley‘s
attempt to regain the UFC men’s bantamweight championship against current
titleholder Merab Dvalishvili.
The event takes place Saturday with the main card starting at 10 p.m. ET.
O’Malley, ranked No. 2, seeks to avenge his previous loss to Dvalishvili.
Dvalishvili, ESPN’s No.4-ranked pound-for-pound fighter, is coming off a
victory against Umar Numagomedov.
The co-main event features Julianna Peña
defending her women’s bantamweight title against Kayla Harrison.
Peña secured the title in a close fight against Raquel Pennington. Harrison,
a former two-time PFL champion, recently defeated Vieira.
Insights from former UFC fighters Your thomas and Anthony Smith provide
predictions for the main event, while betting expert Ian Parker offers
analysis on the main event and other possibly lucrative bets.
Men’s Bantamweight Championship
anthony Smith believes that to defeat Merab, a fighter needs knockout power.
He anticipates Dvalishvili will prevent O’Malley from fighting at his
preferred range.
Your Thomas expects a competitive fight but believes Merab’s intensity will
be too much for O’Malley, preventing him from staying off his back.
Betting Analysis
Parker suggests betting on dvalishvili to win by decision, anticipating a
fight similar to their first encounter.He expects Dvalishvili to apply
relentless pressure and takedowns throughout the five rounds.
Women’s Bantamweight Championship
Your Thomas predicts Harrison will win by TKO in the third round,
anticipating peña spending too much time wrestling without success,
ultimately leading to her being on her back and absorbing too many elbows.
Anthony Smith believes Peña will struggle to win enough exchanges against
Harrison, who will likely win more moments over the course of the fight.
Betting analysis
Parker suggests betting on under 4.5 rounds, noting Harrison is a
important betting favorite.He believes Harrison’s takedowns and top
pressure will eventually overwhelm Peña.
Parker’s Best Bets on the Rest of the Card
Men’s Bantamweight: Mario Bautista vs. Patchy Mix
Parker recommends betting on Mix to win, highlighting his grappling
expertise.While the fight might potentially be a coin toss on the feet, Mix’s grappling
skills should dominate if he can get Bautista on his back.
Heavyweight: Serghei Spivac vs.Waldo Cortes-Casta
Parker suggests betting on Spivac to win, considering him a stronger
favorite than the odds suggest. He believes Spivac is the superior striker
and has a strong ground game that Cortes-Acosta will struggle to defend.
Spivac should win by closing the distance and utilizing his grappling
advantage, as long as he avoids Cortes-Acosta’s power.
