There’s little doubt that Dana White‘s UFC 316 was billed as a high point for the promotion. With Sean O’Malley returning for redemption and Kayla Harrison‘s tremendous victory eliciting roars from the audience, the card had it all: brutality, drama, star power, and even a presidential presence in Donald Trump. However, outside of the Octagon, it seems like the event failed to live up to its billing.

Despite the UFC’s claim to have a “sold out” arena, video clips soon went viral online as they showed rows of empty seats inside Newark’s Prudential Center. That, combined with the disappointing gate numbers, cast a shadow over what should have been a celebration. Online reports claimed a gate of $6,501,177 and attendance of 17,343—impressive on paper, especially given that it was the second-highest UFC gate in Newark history.

However, context matters. That figure still fell short of UFC 302’s $7.25 million gate in the same venue a year ago, and it was overshadowed by the UFC’s 2025 events in Miami, Las Vegas, and Inglewood, which all grossed $10 million. Even Montreal, with less anticipation surrounding its card, brought in almost $6 million while attracting more fans.

The true blow came from the fans themselves. As early as the prelims, videos of large vacant patches in the upper and lower bowls began to circulate online. It begs the question of whether Dana White was exaggerating attendance or if the resale market misfired, pricing fans out while failing to sell last-minute tickets.

Whatever the case, the optics were damaging and unmistakable. UFC 316 fell short of the $26.8 million economic impact of UFC 302, which included global media exposure and local revenue generation. Merab Dvalishvili‘s second victory over O’Malley should have been a title-defining moment in front of a loud crowd. However, as fans online pointed out, ‘The Machine’ entered an arena that was audibly loud but visually bare.

For a promotion that prides itself on being “as real as it gets,” the visuals hit harder than a spinning elbow. Still, numbers do not lie—at least not completely. $6.5 million is a significant amount, and having the second-best gate in Newark is not to be taken lightly. However, Dana White now faces a new challenge: perception. When ticket costs rise and attendance appears to be low, even the most promising fight cards can lose momentum.

UFC 316 may have been a financial success on paper, but the videos will tell a different story—one of missed seats, muted excitement, and an opportunity that just didn’t fill out. In fact, to make matters worse, people have now started questioning the UFC’s production value as Merab Dvalishvili narrowly avoided a major catastrophe.

Merab Dvalishvili nearly taken out by a walkout barrier collapse at Dana White’s UFC 316

If the half-empty stands didn’t frighten Dana White enough, what happened next certainly did. Just moments after the UFC 316 broadcast attempted to shift its focus to the main event, the spotlight was stolen once again—this time by an accident that could have proved deadly.

As Merab Dvalishvili entered his title fight against Sean O’Malley, during the walkout, a guard barrier fell as fans leaned over to see the bantamweight champion, missing him by an inch. From a marketing standpoint, it was yet another chaotic footnote on a night that was meant to restore UFC’s momentum.

Dvalishvili did not overreact. Instead, he dismissed the situation with his usual mix of humility and humor. At the post-fight press conference, the champion said, “People tried to touch me, and then they almost knocked me out before I walked in.” He described being pressed against the wall by security throughout the chaos. “I’m like, ‘I’m a fighter! Let me go!’”

While ‘The Machine’ agreed that he couldn’t stop and assist, his response was entirely professional: make the walk, handle the business. While his tone was light, the pictures were not—it was yet another unforced blunder in UFC 316’s presentation that exposed real and metaphorical flaws in the night’s architecture. But what do you think? Will UFC 317: Oliveira vs Topuria live up to the hype? Let us know in the comments.