The UFC 316 pre-fight press conference was supposed to set the stage for one of the year’s biggest cards. Instead, the event left fans and media wondering if the once-mandatory spectacle of the UFC PPV press conference has lost its sizzle and whether the format itself is on life support.

From Fireworks to Fizzle: What Happened at UFC 316?

For years, UFC press conferences were appointment viewing, often as anticipated as the fights themselves. The formula was simple: get the main card fighters on stage, let the questions fly, and watch the personalities (and sometimes tempers) explode. But at UFC 316, the script flipped. The main eventers, Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili , were notably respectful, trading more compliments than barbs. The only real attempt at trash talk came from

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