Overview

• Merab Dvalishvili secured a third-round submission of Sean O’Malley at UFC 316 to retain his bantamweight title.
• The champion immediately called out Cory Sandhagen, praising the contrast between Sandhagen’s striking and his own relentless grappling style.
• UFC president Dana White confirmed that a Dvalishvili–Sandhagen matchup is the promotion’s leading option for the next title defense.
• Dvalishvili’s win vaulted him past Jon Jones and Ilia Topuria to No. 2 in the UFC’s updated pound-for-pound rankings behind Islam Makhachev.
• Early betting lines shifted heavily in Dvalishvili’s favor over Sandhagen, reflecting expectations of his continued dominance.