The stage is set for a highly anticipated rematch between Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O`Malley.
UFC 316 is scheduled for June 17, and with the event just over a month away, the official poster has been unveiled. It prominently features the headliners, Dvalishvili and O`Malley, alongside the co-main event participants, Julianna Peña and Kayla Harrison.
The main event sees Merab Dvalishvili defending his men`s bantamweight title in a rematch against Sean O`Malley. Dvalishvili originally claimed the title from O`Malley via unanimous decision at UFC 306 last September. Since then, Dvalishvili extended his impressive win streak to 12 with another decision victory over the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov.
O`Malley has been inactive since their initial encounter. After the loss, he took time off to recover from hip surgery, consistently expressing his desire for an immediate rematch.
In the co-main event, Julianna Peña, the women`s bantamweight champion in her second reign, makes her return. Known as `The Venezuelan Vixen,` Peña ended nearly 800 days of layoff by winning a split decision against Raquel Pennington for the vacant title at UFC 307. She faces Kayla Harrison, a formidable opponent who is a two-time Olympic judo gold medalist and two-time PFL champion. Harrison boasts a professional record of 18-1, with both of her UFC fights resulting in victories.
UFC 316 is scheduled to take place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on June 17. The event will be broadcast exclusively on ESPN+ pay-per-view. While the final bout order is pending, here is the current lineup:
Current UFC 316 Lineup
- Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O’Malley
- Julianna Peña vs. Kayla Harrison
- Vicente Luque vs. Kevin Holland
- Marlon Vera vs. Mario Bautista
- Serghei Spivac vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta
- Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer
- Johnny Walker vs. Azamat Murzakanov
- Bruno Silva vs. Joshua Van
- Ariane da Silva vs. Wang Cong
