3 biggest storylines ahead of UFC 316

UFC 316 is upon us.

In Saturday's main event, Merab Dvalishvili will defend the bantamweight title in a rematch with former champion Sean O'Malley. And in the co-headliner, women's bantamweight champ Julianna Pena will put her belt on the line against the heavily favored Kayla Harrison.

Here are three key storylines ahead of the UFC's return to Prudential Center in Newark.

Can O'Malley make it a different fight than last time?

We haven't seen O'Malley since he dropped the bantamweight title to Dvalishvili in lopsided fashion last September at UFC 306. He's had nine months to train, get better, and figure out a new game plan - because whatever he did in the first fight didn't work. But here's the big question: Is that enough time for O'Malley to make the necessary improvements to beat someone of Dvalishvili's caliber?

Maybe, maybe not.

Dvalishvili proved to be a stylistic nightmare for O'Malley in their first fight. He completed six takedowns and compiled over 10 minutes of control time, almost completely neutralizing O'Malley's weapons on the feet. It'd be fair to guess that O'Malley has worked tirelessly on his takedown defense and get-up game ahead of the rematch, which is great. But it's impossible to become a grappling wizard overnight. Chances are what worked for Dvalishvili in the first fight will work for him in the rematch, too.

If O'Malley wants to win this fight - and he can win - he can't bank on stopping every takedown. Instead, the former champion will need to do a better job of capitalizing on the feet early in the rounds, before Dvalishvili finds a takedown. Because once Dvalishvili ends up on top, O'Malley might be stuck there for a while.

Would a Harrison title reign revive women's bantamweight?

The women's bantamweight division has been stagnant ever since Amanda Nunes retired from MMA two years ago (and, quite frankly, long before that). However, Harrison inserted some life into the division when she signed with the UFC in 2024. Now she has a chance to become the new champion and give it an even bigger boost.

Harrison, a former PFL champ and Olympic gold medalist in judo, is one of the biggest stars in women's MMA. It makes sense that the UFC would want her as one of its champions. Of course, the division still has a serious lack of depth and talent, so it'll never be one of the promotion's top weight classes. But Harrison winning the title would at least get fans talking about it more than they are now.

A Harrison victory this weekend could also lure Nunes out of retirement - and a long-awaited showdown between the two former teammates would be one of the biggest fights in the sport.

Is Patchy Mix an elite bantamweight?

We're about to find out how good Patchy Mix really is.

The former Bellator bantamweight champion is scheduled to make his highly anticipated UFC debut against No. 10-ranked contender Mario Bautista on Saturday's main card. He signed with the promotion last month after parting ways with the PFL.

For the last few years, Mix has been considered one of the top 135-pound fighters outside the UFC. He has beaten the likes of Kyoji Horiguchi, Sergio Pettis, and Raufeon Stots. But now we get to find out how Mix stacks up against the best in the UFC. He isn't getting an easy first matchup, either, as Bautista has won seven in a row - including a recent decision over UFC Hall of Famer Jose Aldo - and is unbeaten since March 2021.

If Mix can get past Bautista, then he'll officially be a contender in the UFC's stacked 135-pound division.