Introduction: Big Rematch Announced, PFL Action, and UFC’s Path Forward
It was another packed episode of Ringside Report MMA, with hosts Dave Simon, Fred Garcia, and AJ D’Alesio diving into the biggest news and upcoming action. The major headline was the official announcement of the bantamweight title rematch between champion Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley, set for UFC 316. The crew also kept an eye on the live PFL card, witnessing Montreal’s Fred Dupre in action, discussed the upcoming UFC Fight Night headlined by Josh Emmett and Lerone Murphy, and continued their analysis of the UFC’s current state, including the potential for a move to a streaming platform like Netflix.
Table of Contents
O’Malley Gets His Rematch: Merab vs. O’Malley 2 Set for UFC 316
Hosts Analyze the Matchup, O’Malley’s Chances, and UFC’s Motives
Confirming that Merab Dvalishvili will defend his bantamweight title against Sean O’Malley in a rematch at UFC 316 on June 7th immediately sparked debate. O’Malley hasn’t fought since losing a decision to Dvalishvili last September, while Merab defended the belt against Umar Nurmagomedov in January.
Dave questioned the booking logic: “Why does O’Malley get to sit and wait while Merab defends the belt?”. He felt “It’s like they’re treating O’Malley like he’s the champion”, likely because “He sells more t-shirts”. Fred disagreed slightly, wanting the champion to fight the top contender (which Merab did against Umar), but conceded “the fact that O’Malley got like a break is a little weird”. He acknowledged O’Malley is “somewhat of a star” and perhaps the most sensible opponent given the lack of other apparent options.
AJ D’Alesio brought up O’Malley’s marketability, noting “He was a star before he even became a star” through merchandise and image. He also pointed to a potential injury O’Malley carried into the first fight: “He came into that fight with an injury… He tore his labrum dude”. AJ believes the rematch could be different with a healthy O’Malley, stating “I think O’Malley is going to come in 100 percent” and “the second fight will be a different story”.
Dave remained skeptical about the outcome changing, feeling the first fight was “pretty one sided” and O’Malley “had nothing for him”. He viewed the booking as the UFC being “desperate to have any kind of star to sell pay per views” and pushing O’Malley as “the ticket to money”. Fred ultimately agreed that the UFC likely knows Merab will probably win again, but they needed a title fight for the pay-per-view slot.
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PFL Season Kicks Off: Montreal’s Fred Dupras Fights Live
Dupras Comes Up Short Against Braga, Plus Discussion on Prospects
Concurrent with the show, the PFL 2025 season featured featherweight and welterweight tournament action. Local interest centered on Montreal’s Fred Dupras, Olivier Aubin-Mercier’s training partner and Fred Garcia’s teammate (sharing the same street for training, Monk Boulevard). Dupras faced Gabriel Braga as a significant underdog (+440). AJ noted Dupras’s high-level Jiu-Jitsu and compared his potential underdog success to Aubin-Mercier’s two PFL titles.
The hosts provided live commentary as the fight unfolded. Dupras secured an early arm-in guillotine attempt, squeezing hard, but Braga popped his head out. Fred Garcia felt Dupras might have gassed his arms, committing to the choke. After losing the position, Braga took Dupra’s back and eventually secured a rear-naked choke (or perhaps face crank) submission victory with about 25 seconds left in the first round. This was a disappointing result for the local fighter.
This led to a broader discussion about developing young talent, referencing last week’s focus on Raul Rosas Jr. AJ felt Rosas showed improvement and maturity in his win over veteran Vince Morales, noting his improved striking and fighting IQ for a 20-year-old. Fred added that Rosas still has years to reach his physical prime. Dave wondered how the UFC would handle Rosas’s progression, hoping they wouldn’t rush him into fights he isn’t ready for, a pattern he sees in the promotion’s history.
AJ believes the UFC learned from mishandling Sage Northcutt, who had marketability but lacked well-rounded skills when pushed too quickly. He thinks Rosas’s prior loss helped manage expectations and will lead to a more gradual build.
UFC’s Murky Future: Netflix, Title Fight Scarcity, and McGregor’s Status
Potential Netflix Deal, Lack of Announced Bouts, and Is Conor Done?
The conversation revisited the lack of announced major fights for the UFC’s upcoming pay-per-view schedule, particularly for the big International Fight Week card (UFC 317) in early July. Fred noted, “There were only two or three title fights announced at past UFC 314.”
The consensus was that the UFC desperately needs to book its biggest available fights. The top contenders mentioned were Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria, Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall, and Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev. Fred suggested Dreykus Du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev as another potential headliner. He argued that with so few clear pay-per-view draws, the UFC might need to reconsider its business model, possibly moving towards a streaming deal like WWE’s Netflix arrangement.
Dave strongly agreed, stating the UFC doesn’t “have big name champions they don’t have people that can sell pay per views”. He cited reports of ESPN’s unhappiness with low pay-per-view sales. “I think Netflix is a good move,” Dave said, advocating for all events to be included in the standard subscription, eliminating the pay-per-view model. The hosts briefly debated how such a move would impact commercial licenses for bars showing the events.
The topic of Conor McGregor resurfaced. AJ mentioned Chael Sonnen suggesting McGregor might never fight again due to a lack of winnable matchups on the current roster. Dave largely agreed, feeling “the UFC has forgotten about him” as he’s rarely mentioned by Dana White or the media anymore. AJ acknowledged Conor’s continued presence in media for politics or business ventures like bare-knuckle boxing but conceded a UFC return looks unlikely.
UFC Vegas Predictions: Emmett vs. Murphy Headlines
Dave, Fred, and AJ Make Their Picks for Saturday’s Card
Looking ahead to the weekend’s UFC Fight Night card, the main event features veteran Josh Emmett against the undefeated Lerone Murphy. The hosts discussed the matchup dynamics: Emmett is 40 years old and hasn’t fought since December 2023, while Murphy is 33, undefeated, but often wins by decision. Fred noted Emmett still “looks like he’s fucking carved in stone” but Dave emphasized that 40 is old for an MMA fighter, especially after a long layoff. AJ pointed to recent examples where fighters struggled after extended time off.
The crew highlighted the debut of undefeated heavyweight Uran Satybaldiev from Kyrgyzstan, stepping in on short notice against Martin Buday, as a fight to watch. Dave again raised the marketability issue for fighters from regions like Dagestan or Kyrgyzstan, noting potential language barriers compared to English-speaking stars like McGregor.
Here are the parlay picks for UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs. Murphy:
AJ D’Alesio’s Parlay ($20 to win $220):
- Lerone Murphy (vs. Josh Emmett)
- Pat Sabatini (vs. Joanderson Brito) [+180 underdog]
- Daniel Santos (vs. Davey Grant)
- Talita Alencar (vs. Vanessa Demopoulos)
- Note: AJ initially picked Chang Ho Lee and Uran Satybaldiev, but those fights were unavailable on Bet99 at the time, likely due to recent changes/late notice.
Dave Simon’s Parlay ($20 to win $29):
- Lerone Murphy (vs. Josh Emmett)
- Loma Lookboonmee (vs. Istela Nunes)
- Dave expressed low enthusiasm for the card, calling it “terrible” and “not even worth it”.
Fred Garcia’s Parlay ($20 to win $71.18):
- Lerone Murphy (vs. Josh Emmett)
- Gerald Meerschaert (vs. Brad Tavares)
- Fred picked Meerschaert despite acknowledging neither fighter has looked great lately.
Conclusion: Waiting for the Big Guns
The announcement of O’Malley vs. Merab 2 provides a needed title fight for the UFC schedule, but the underlying concerns discussed by the Ringside Report MMA crew persist. Questions about star power, fighter activity, the handling of prospects like Raul Rosas Jr., and the promotion’s overall direction, potentially towards a new broadcast model, dominated the conversation. While the PFL season provided some live drama (though unfortunate for Fred Dupras), the upcoming UFC Vegas card garnered little excitement from the hosts. All eyes seem to be waiting for the booking of significant matchups like Islam vs. Toporia or Jones vs. Aspinall to inject energy back into the UFC’s pay-per-view landscape.
Key Takeaways:
- Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O’Malley 2 is official for UFC 316 in June.
- Hosts debated O’Malley’s immediate rematch, citing marketability vs. sporting merit.
- Montreal’s Fred Dupras lost his PFL season opener via first-round submission during the live show.
- Raul Rosas Jr.’s development continues to be a point of interest and caution.
- Concerns remain about the UFC’s lack of announced major fights and potential need for a new business model (like Netflix).
- Conor McGregor’s potential return seems increasingly unlikely.
- Predictions for UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs. Murphy were made, though enthusiasm for the card was low.
Calls to Action
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