UFC 316 Preview: Dvalishvili vs. O’Malley 2 and Undercard Fights
This weekend, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns with another exciting event, UFC 316, set to take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The highly anticipated card features a bantamweight title fight between Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley, but it’s not the only intriguing matchup. In this article, we’ll focus on the welterweight bout between Vicente Luque and Kevin Holland.
According to a report by Sherdog.com, Holland’s second stint down at welterweight got off to a strong start, and "Trailblazer" looks to keep that momentum going in an interesting matchup here. An entertaining but inconsistent middleweight upon his UFC debut, Holland was an unlikely breakout star in the early days of the pandemic-era UFC; he was willing to step in as often as possible to fight as the promotion threw together cards on late notice, and his penchant for trash talking was a perfect fit for the otherwise silent atmosphere of the UFC Apex.
As noted by Sherdog.com, Holland’s issues with defensive wrestling have been a significant concern, and it’s an area he’s looked to improve upon since dropping down to welterweight. A winless 2021 resulted in Holland dropping down to welterweight, which was a mixed bag; now absolutely massive in his new division, Holland leaned on his physical skills to find some success as a cruder slugger than in the past, but still eventually hit another ceiling against opponents with more technical skill.
Meanwhile, Vicente Luque has had a storied career in the UFC, with Sherdog.com describing him as a "consistently violent pressure fighter that racked up a ton of wins in the first few years of his UFC career." However, a 2022 loss to Geoff Neal that resulted in a knockout kept Luque out of action for over a year, and it was revealed he was trying to get medically cleared due to bleeding on his brain. Since his comeback, Luque’s generally looked solid, understandably taking a more patient approach that features a bit more wrestling and clinchwork.
In the opinion of Sherdog.com, Holland’s lack of defensive awareness does raise the clear concern that he can dive into a submission, but the call is that he can survive enough to pour on enough offense to give Luque some second thoughts. The pick is Holland via second-round stoppage.
The bout between Luque and Holland is an interesting matchup, with both fighters looking to make a statement in the welterweight division. As reported by Sherdog.com, the odds are currently in favour of Holland at (-265), with Luque at (+215).
In conclusion, the welterweight bout between Vicente Luque and Kevin Holland is set to be an exciting matchup at UFC 316. With both fighters looking to make a statement in the division, it’s going to be a thrilling fight that could potentially set up a future title contender. According to Sherdog.com, Holland’s size and skill will give him the edge he needs to take down Luque in the second round.
Undercard Fights
In addition to the Luque vs. Holland matchup, the UFC 316 undercard features several other intriguing fights. These include:
- Dvalishvili vs. O’Malley: The bantamweight title fight between Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley is set to be the main event of the evening.
- Pena vs. Harrison: This women’s flyweight bout features two talented fighters looking to make a statement in the division.
- Gastelum vs. Pyfer: This middleweight matchup pits two fighters with different fighting styles against each other.
- Bautista vs. Mix: This bantamweight fight features two fighters looking to make a name for themselves in the division.
The prelims are set to start at 4pm ET/1pm PT, with the main card beginning at 10pm ET/7pm PT.
Source: Sherdog.com
