Sean O’Malley walks back into the cage against Merab Dvalishvili this Saturday – how many times can one man get run over by the same Georgian steamroller before he stays down?

The Machine Keeps Churning

Let’s be brutally honest, O’Malley’s changes – the hip surgery, ditching the green stuff – sound like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic facing Dvalishvili. Merab isn’t just winning; he’s dismantling legacies. O’Malley’s got dynamite in his hands, but Merab? He’s the human equivalent of a woodchipper. Twelve straight victims couldn’t solve him, and expecting a different outcome now feels like betting against gravity.

Peña vs. Destiny (and Harrison)

Julianna Peña beating Amanda Nunes was the sporting equivalent of a chihuahua toppling a grizzly. Now she faces Kayla Harrison, an Olympic judoka who throws people for a living and enters as a massive favorite. The disrespect thrown Peña’s way is deafening. Harrison’s hype train is full steam ahead, fueled by wins over Holm and Vieira, but Peña thrives on being counted out.

Peña’s whole game is chaos and survival – but she’ll need every ounce of that stubbornness. Harrison isn’t just strong; she hits like she’s swinging sledgehammers. Peña might drag her into deep water, but Harrison’s built for the ocean. This feels like destiny calling Harrison’s name, loudly.

Grudge Matches & New Blood

Kelvin Gastelum versus Joe Pyfer lost its Mexico City altitude advantage, which is fantastic news for Pyfer. Gastelum’s got the chin and the experience, but Pyfer? Dude’s younger, hungrier, and hits like he’s trying to send opponents into next week. Without the thin air trying to suffocate him, Pyfer’s power might just put Gastelum’s lights out early.

Patchy Mix makes his UFC debut against Mario Bautista, the man who somehow ‘beat’ Jose Aldo. Mix isn’t coming for a points victory; he’s coming to strangle somebody. Bautista better bring more than fence-hugging tactics unless he wants to wake up staring at the ceiling lights wondering where his oxygen went.

Vicente Luque versus Kevin Holland? Holland at welterweight is a different beast – faster, sharper. Luque looked decent last time, but let’s not pretend beating Themba Gorimbo makes you prime Anderson Silva. Holland’s speed will turn this into target practice. Watching them now feels like watching your grandparents argue over the remote – nostalgic but ultimately past its prime. Holland by knockout, probably before your popcorn’s done.

So, Newark gets two title fights. Will O’Malley shock the world or will Merab grind him into paste again? Can Peña pull off another miracle? And just how badly does Harrison need to leave bantamweight after this brutal cut? Tell us who you got getting their hand raised – or who gets thrown into next week.