Sean O'Malley wants his bantamweight title back from the man who took it away. The former champion is set for a high-stakes rematch against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 316 in Newark, New Jersey on June 7, headlining a card featuring two bantamweight championship bouts.
O'Malley's seven-fight unbeaten streak came to an abrupt end when Dvalishvili claimed the bantamweight crown at the Sphere. Now, after undergoing surgery to address issues he faced during their first encounter, "Suga" believes he'll prove himself the better fighter when fully healthy.
"The Machine" Dvalishvili enters the rematch riding an impressive twelve-fight win streak, having recently defended his newly acquired status against Umar Nurmagomedov in January.
In the co-main event, two-time champion Julianna Pena puts her women's bantamweight title on the line against Olympic judoka Kayla Harrison. Their clash comes with plenty of bad blood – Pena has publicly accused Harrison of performance-enhancing drug use, allegations the two-time Olympic gold medalist has dismissed as mere trash talk.
Interestingly, this marks Harrison's opportunity to validate her reputation as one of the world's premier fighters after a dominant run in the Professional Fighters League. Can the former Olympian silence her vocal opponent?
The stacked card also features middleweight contenders Kelvin Gastelum and Joe Pyfer, while welterweights Vicente Luque and Kevin Holland square off in what promises to be an action-packed affair.
The Prudential Center, home to the New Jersey Devils, will host the event with preliminary fights beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET. The main card kicks off at 10 p.m. ET, with Dvalishvili and O'Malley expected to make their entrances around 12:45 a.m. ET.
For fans looking to watch, the entire UFC 316 card will stream on ESPN+ with the main card available as a pay-per-view for $79.99. A special promotion offers new subscribers three months of ESPN+ for just $4.99 monthly – significantly lower than the usual $11.99 rate.
With championship gold and personal redemption on the line, UFC 316 shapes up as one of the year's most compelling fight cards. The bantamweight division takes center stage in what should be a night to remember in Newark.
