Dana White just went live on Instagram again. No, it’s not to announce Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria. But he did announce two other title fights for UFC 316. It seems like the bantamweight champ duo of Merab Dvalishvili and Julianna Pena will be defending their titles before International Fight Week. You can read about it in detail, and then some more on the latest edition of our MMA News Roundup.
From UFC 316, we’ll turn our attention to Conor McGregor, who shared a message on the occasion of World Autism Day on social media. Finally, we’ll sum up this roundup edition with Ian Garry‘s statements about his upcoming fight against Carlos Prates. Let’s go!
Two bantamweight title fights set for UFC 316
Ahead of UFC 314, UFC CEO, Dana White, has come out to announce some blockbuster fights for the coming months. The 55-year-old, during a live stream where he announced a number of fights, shared news about their plans for the PPV before International Fight Week, which is UFC 316. And guess what? Merab Dvalishvili and Julianna Pena will be putting their 135-pound titles up for grabs against Sean O’Malley and Kayla Harrison, respectively.
“UFC 316 is at the Prudential Center in New Jersey. June 7th [and] in the main event is Merab vs ‘Suga’ Sean O’Malley,” Dana White stated during the live stream on Instagram. “Co-main event, women’s bantamweight champion Julianna Pena is taking on Kayla Harrison.”
Well, it was no secret that the rematch between Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili was going to go down anyway because both fighters seem to have had an agreement about it. But as for Julianna Pena, she’s been called out for avoiding fighting Kayla Harrison after she won the belt from Raquel Pennington. But now the stage is set, so how do you think UFC 316 is shaping up to be? Drop your comments below, but not before you take a look at the next story.
Conor McGregor’s message on World Autism Day
Conor McGregor could be quite controversial on certain occasions, but there is a softer side to him. As April 2nd marked another World Autism Day, McGregor decided to share a brief message of support for those who suffer from this condition with a heart emoji on his Instagram stories.
Anthony Joshua v Daniel Dubois – IBF Heavyweight Title Fight – Wembley Stadium Conor McGregor and Dee Devlin in the stands at Wembley Stadium, London. Picture date: Saturday September 21, 2024. Use subject to restrictions. Editorial use only, no commercial use without prior consent from rights holder. PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxUKxIRL Copyright: xBradleyxCollyerx 77543215
The former UFC double champion understands the pain that one goes through due to autism because he’s got someone like that in his family. Conor McGregor’s sister Erin has a son named Harry who was diagnosed with autism back in 2019. He’s just eight years old, but Conor’s sister has always loved him for the way he is and even calls Harry an “amazing child.”
Well, it’s always nice to see ‘The Notorious’ using his platform to raise awareness regarding such concerns because in 2018, he was even honored for his charitable work. Yes, back in 2018, ‘The Notorious’s work for the Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin was recognized during the 7th annual Best of Ireland Gala.
McGregor is not the only Irishman we have in our headlines. Now, let’s dive into the final story of the day, involving Ian Garry.
Ian Garry is determined to show how ‘good’ he is against Carlos Prates
Before Dana White’s UFC 316 announcement, the 55-year-old also shed light on the main event for UFC’s return to Kansas City. Well, UFC Fight Night 258 was in a bit of trouble after the initial main event between Khalil Rountree Jr. and Jamahal Hill had to be scrapped off due to the latter’s injury. But there’s nothing to worry about because the exciting duo of Ian Garry and Carlos Prates will close the show in a fight that has fans buzzing.
But having lost his last fight narrowly against Shavkat Rakhmonov, ‘The Future’ is looking to prove to Dana White and the whole UFC community that he’s always there to save the promotion, and he’s heading into Kansas with a mission to show Carlos Prates that he’s on a different level. “The UFC go, ‘We need someone. Who do we need? Who do we call?’ You call me. Why? Because I’m a real fighter who wants to fight the best in the world. I’m gonna show everybody how good I am… Carlos Prates is awesome, but this is my world,” Ian Garry stated in a video on social media.
Ian Garry reacts to his UFC Kansas City main event with Carlos Prates
“The UFC goes ahh we need someone who do we call? You call me, why… because I’m a real fighter who wants to fight the best in the world” pic.twitter.com/GyhZuV0KrF
— FULL SEND MMA (@full_send_mma) April 1, 2025
Well, what do you think about this edition of the daily roundup? Are you excited about the announcement of the aforementioned matchups? Drop your comments below.
The post MMA News Roundup – Merab Dvalishvili & Julianna Pena Set to Defend Titles at UFC 316; Conor McGregor Breaks Silence on World Autism Day Signing; Ian Garry’s Message to Carlos Prates appeared first on EssentiallySports.