Dvalishvili’s triumph came after Kayla Harrison dethroned Julianna Pena in the co-main event to become the UFC’s bantamweight queen, submitting Pena in the second to live up to her favourable odds and join Cejudo as only the second athlete ever to boast an Olympic gold medal and UFC gold on their resume.

In the UFC 316 main event, Dvalishvili (20-4 MMA, 13-2 UFC) defeated Sean O'Malley (18-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) even more emphatically than he did the first time the two fought, as he retained his title via North-South neck crank. The stoppage came at 4:42 of Round 3.

The bantamweight division still belongs to Merab Dvalishvili after UFC 316. Sean O'Malley had his chance at redemption, but The Machine defended his belt with a third-round submission win over Suga.