Bad News for Dana White as Fans Seal “Horrible” UFC 316 Rumored Card’s Fate

UFC 316 is shaping up to be a blockbuster event, with two significant title matches already set for June 7 in Newark, New Jersey. One reigning champion will put their belt on the line against a dominant force looking to shake up the division, while another will face a dangerous contender wanting to win UFC gold. With high-stakes bouts and heated rivalries, Dana White’s UFC 316 promises to be an exciting event at the Prudential Center. So, what do we know about the night’s main and co-main events? Who are these mystery champions?

According to reports, in the co-main event of UFC 316, Julianna Peña is facing yet another controversial title situation. She won the 135-pound title in a razor-thin split decision victory over Raquel Pennington at UFC 307, which attracted widespread criticism from fans and competitors alike. Despite Amanda Nunes’ retirement, Peña immediately advocated for a trilogy fight with her, rather than recognizing the next deserving challenger, Kayla Harrison. The former Olympic gold winner has been on a hunt since joining the UFC.  After making a statement with a dominant stoppage victory over Holly Holm at UFC 300, she outperformed Ketlen Vieira at UFC 307.

Harrison is largely regarded as Peña’s most challenging opponent yet, as her exceptional grappling skills and fast tempo can seriously dethrone the champion. As for the main event of Dana White’s UFC 316, Alexandre Pantoja will look to defend his Flyweight championship for the fourth time by facing Kai Kara-France of New Zealand. Pantoja has established himself as one of the division’s most dominant champions, defeating Brandon Moreno, Brandon Royval, and Kai Asakura. Kara-France will get another crack at UFC gold after his controversial split-decision loss to Amir Albazi in 2023 ruined his initial title bid. With increased takedown defense and hitting precision, he believes he can finally defeat ‘The Cannibal.’

With both title fights featuring compelling storylines and championship-level talent, UFC 316 is shaping up to be one of the biggest events of the summer. However, fans believe otherwise. As soon as these reports hit the internet, fans made sure to let Dana White know that they were completely against it. But why? Well, there were several reasons to be precise. So, let’s find out what the MMA world had to say!

Fans rally against Dana White’s decision to have Alexandre Pantoja and Julianna Peña in one event

With these two title fights at the event’s center, UFC 316 has become a hot topic among certain fans for all the wrong reasons. While Julianna Peña vs. Kayla Harrison and Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Kara-France are significant for their respective divisions, some fans believe the event lacks the blockbuster appeal of a large UFC pay-per-view. As a result, many people took to the comments to criticize the card as unworthy of a PPV purchase due to Dana White’s booking. The fans wrote, “Horrible fights,” “7 PPV buys,” “Title fights nobody cares about,” and “And they said the Canada card was bad 😭🤣”

Fans have expressed anger, especially with Julianna Peña’s return to the spotlight. Her controversial title win over Raquel Pennington at UFC 307 is still fresh in fans’ thoughts, and many believe she is unqualified to headline such a large event. Peña’s appearance on the card has sparked outrage, with some suggesting they would rather miss the event entirely. The fans shared in the comments, “Liked the post but had to unlike once I saw Peña,” “Was gettin excited till I saw the second title fight,” and “It’s like I see Peña’s name on a card and I’m inclined NOT to watch it more than anything.”

This backlash makes a lot more sense if you think back to the card the UFC brought to the same location and venue in June 2024. It was UFC 302 where Dustin Poirier and Islam Makhachev put on the fight of a lifetime. In the co-main event, they had fan favorites Sean Strickland and Paulo Costa.

While Peña has received the majority of criticism, Alexandre Pantoja isn’t safe from scrutiny either. The reigning Flyweight champion has had a successful run, but some fans believe he lacks the star power to lead a pay-per-view event. His aggressive fighting style has won over purists, but still some fans are skeptical. As a result, the introduction of his fight versus Kai Kara-France failed to produce the excitement that fans expected for UFC 316. Taking to the comments, they wrote, “No more Pantoja main events,” “Pantoja is super good, but he has absolutely 0 aura,” and “Pantoja will deliver another slugfest.” Well, it looks like fans really hate the booking. But what do you think? Do you believe the UFC 316 card looks underwhelming? Let us know in the comments.