MORRISTOWN, N.J. – MMA Junkie covered the official weigh-ins for UFC 316 live from the host hotel prior to the ceremonial weigh-ins scheduled for 5 p.m. ET at Newark’s Prudential Center, the same venue for Saturday’s highly anticipated event.
Out of the 26 fighters scheduled, 25 made weight successfully, except for UFC flyweight Ariane da Silva, who weighed in at 132 pounds, six pounds over the flyweight limit for her match against Cong Wang. As of now, the UFC has not provided any updates regarding the status of their bout.
The main event of the card features a title rematch between bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili (19-4 MMA, 12-2 UFC) and former champion Sean O’Malley (18-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC), both of whom successfully made weight. Women’s bantamweight champion Julianna Peña (13-5 MMA, 8-3 UFC) also made weight along with two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time PFL champion Kayla Harrison, who is considered an 8-1 favorite and carries a record of 18-1 in MMA.
Weigh-in results for the main and preliminary cards include notable matchups such as:
MAIN CARD (ESPN, ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET):
– Merab Dvalishvili (134) vs. Sean O’Malley (135) for the bantamweight title
– Julianna Peña (135) vs. Kayla Harrison (135) for the women’s bantamweight title
– Kelvin Gastelum (185) vs. Joe Pyfer (185)
– Mario Bautista (135.1) vs. Patchy Mix (135.1)
– Kevin Holland (170.1) vs. Vicente Luque (170)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET):
– Bruno Silva (125) vs. Joshua Van (125.1)
– Azamat Murzakanov (205) vs. Brendson Ribeiro (205)
– Waldo Cortes-Acosta (265) vs. Serghei Spivac (251)
– Andreas Gustafsson (170) vs. Khaos Williams (170)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET):
– Wang Cong (125) vs. Ariane da Silva (132)*
– Jeka Saragih (145) vs. Joo Sang Yoo (145.1)
– Yanal Ashmouz (155) vs. Quillan Salkilld (156)
– Mark Choinski (155) vs. MarQuel Mederos (155)
*Note: A weight miss of six pounds over the flyweight limit was recorded for Ariane da Silva.
With such a thrilling lineup, fans can expect an exciting night of fights at UFC 316. The anticipation for key matchups, particularly the championship bouts, adds to the excitement of the event.