UFC 316 Betting Tips – Blockbuster Rematch Scheduled

In the footage, however, he appears to be sharp whilst going forwards and backing his opponent up, something that isn’t in Merab’s DNA. The Georgian hasn’t finished a fight since 2021 and only has one finish in 14 UFC fights. He’s much more of a ‘position over submission’ wrestler, however, is more than capable of grinding out a TKO finish if necessary.

Dvalishvili has to make a statement if he is to win, and a finish would do this. O’Malley’s best way to win is to catch Dvalishvili on the feet, much like he did to the champion’s teammate, Aljamain Sterling. Back this one not to go the distance.

Kayla Harrison via finish -150

Finally, Kayla Harrison will get her shot at UFC gold. Standing in her way is Julianna Pena, who, ahead of the fight, is a massive underdog, despite being the champion. She spoke to Ariel Helwani recently, stating that she feels ‘right at home’ being the underdog, something that she is used to during her career.

Harrison is a brutal finisher and when (not if), she gets the fight to the ground, she makes it a long night for her opponent, regardless of who it is. In her UFC debut against Holly Holm, Harrison used her striking to close the distance, throwing a headkick before shooting in and getting the fight to the floor. Likewise, when she took down Ketlen Viera, she controlled the Brazilian with ease.

Pena isn’t known for being particularly strong off her back. When Amanda Nunes took her down in their rematch, she was controlled easily, threw up very little offence and didn’t appear to know how to get back up to her feet. Similarly, she was taken down and controlled by Sara McMann in the fight before she realised a title shot. With just a 23% takedown defence, Pena is potentially in for a long night at UFC 316.

Whether it’s by submission or a ground and pound, picking Harrison (who has 14 finishes in 19 fights) is your best bet. If there is a line out there for Harrison to call out Nunes afterwards, back that too!

Patchy Mix vs Mario Bautista – Under 2.5 rounds (+140)

Patchy Mix is making his highly anticipated UFC debut and whilst octagon gitters are a real thing, few have entered the UFC octagon with as much hype as Mix. At 20-1, the former Bellator bantamweight champion is no stranger to tough competition, with wins over Kyoji Horiguchi, Sergio Pettis and Magomed Magomedov. He’s recorded an impressive 15 wins, mostly via submission, so look for him to want to get this one to the ground.

Mario Bautista is on a rich vein of form, enjoying seven straight victories, including a win over Jose Aldo last time out. Like Mix, Bautista isn’t afraid to search for a finish, recording nine in 17 wins. It’s also worth noting that his two career losses have come via finish, so if Mix wins, expect it to be inside the distance.