UFC 316 may not have been getting as much hype coming in as the other summer blockbuster Pay-Per-Views, but it did end up delivering a fun night of fights.
The prelims gave us exiting, highlight-reel performances from prospects like Joshua Van and Joo Sang Yoo, as well as another knockout for rising undefeated contender Azamat Murzakanov. The main card followed that up with two early contenders for ‘Submission of the Year’ as both Merab Dvalishvili and Kayla Harrison went home with the W. Let’s look at what should be next for our main card winners from Saturday.
Merab Dvalishvili
At 34 years old, the champion may have given us his best performance to date. This time around, there were no excuses for Sean O’Malley as he was vocal in leaving no stones unturned during this training camp. Yet, “Suga” succumbed to Dvalishvili by third-round submission at UFC 316. Merab didn’t even need all 25 minutes to be his usual overwhelming self.
This was the Georgian’s first rematch at the title level, and with another one possibly on the horizon should Petr Yan defeat Marcus McGhee in July, fans are craving fresh matchups for Dvalishvili. This is why Cory Sandhagen makes all the sense in the world. We knew that with a win over Deiveson Figueiredo a month ago he would cement himself as the number one contender. Sandhagen has a tricky style for anyone to deal with and he’s one of the only perennial top5 contenders of the division that Merab hasn’t faced yet.
Dvalishvili’s next fight: Cory Sandhagen
Kayla Harrison
This is an even easier call than Dvalishvili vs Sandhagen: it’s Amanda Nunes. The main storyline coming into this fight wasn’t even the fight itself, but rather who the winner would face. We knew that “The Lioness” was eyeing the winner. Had Peña pulled off the upset, we would’ve had a trilogy on our hands. However, we got what most would consider a far more intriguing matchup.
Being a two-time Olympic gold winner in judo, Harrison is one of the most accomplished combat sport athletes to capture a UFC title. She’s one of the only fighters that seemingly can match Nunes’ physical gifts. The stylistic matchup and the stakes attached to it automatically make this one of the most important fights in women’s MMA of the last decade or so.
Harrison’s next fight: Amanda Nunes
Joe Pyfer
After Abus Magomedov got past Michel Pereira in April, I penciled him against the winner of this Kelvin Gastelum vs Joe Pyfer fight. Now that Pyfer has emerged victorious at UFC 316, I still believe the matchup makes sense. Even if you don’t believe Pyfer should be getting a second crack at the rankings already, Magomedov is exactly in the tier of fighters that he should be facing. If Abus was unranked, I would probably still be booking this fight. It’s a good test for both and a decent name to add to their resumés. If they win their next fight, I also wouldn’t mind Gregory Rodrigues or Ikram Aliskerov, or even Cesar Almeida.
Pyfer’s next fight: Abus Magomedov
Mario Bautista
Though an impressive feat to spoil Patchy Mix’s long anticipated UFC debut, this still wasn’t the kind of performance that will boost Bautista’s fanbase. Point-fighting or not, Bautista outclassed Mix in the standup and is now riding an eight-fight win streak. Already being in the top 10 and accepting a short notice change of opponent should grant Bautista a shot at a top 5 name, which is what he called for.
As mentioned, Yan is booked with McGhee and Sandhagen is most likely fighting for the title. With O’Malley being his teammate, that leaves Umar Nurmagomedov and Song Yadong. There’s a card in Shanghai in late August and it’s hard to picture that event without Song headlining it. Could Bautista make the turnaround and headline against Song? Potentially, but I think it’s more likely he waits until the fall and faces Umar in Abu Dhabi.
Bautista’s next fight: Umar Nurmagomedov
Kevin Holland
When Michael Morales beat Gilbert Burns, I wrote that I wasn’t convinced he should be facing top 5 opposition right away considering how green he still is. That’s why I had him face the winner of this Vicente Luque vs Kevin Holland bout at UFC 316 instead of someone like Leon Edwards. While my opinion on that hasn’t changed, I have changed my mind on who Holland should fight. After his submission win over Luque, I’d like to see him fight Carlos Prates instead of Morales.
I really dug Holland’s callout of Colby Covington, but I just prefer the idea of Covington fighting Michael “Venom” Page. Last time Holland faced a welterweight who could match his reach and length, he lost a comfortable decision to the aforementioned MVP. Let’s see if he can do better this time around.
Holland’s next fight: Carlos Prates
