For one reason or another, something special happens when the Octagon touches down in Newark. It has been the home of several milepost moments for the sport. It is where Jon Jones took out Mauricio “Shogun” Rua to begin his odyssey as the light heavyweight champion. Last year, Islam Makhachev thwarted Dustin Poirier in an all-time classic with the lightweight title on the line.
Two title fights headline the Octagon’s third trip to Brick City for UFC 316: Dvalishvili vs O’Malley 2. While those bouts are deservedly garnering most of the attention, the card is littered with storylines.