UFC 316 will feature two highly anticipated matchups. The main event will be a rematch between Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley. In the co-main event, Julianna Pena will defend her bantamweight title against Kayla Harrison. The event is scheduled for June in Newark, New Jersey.
UFC CEO Dana White announced these new fights.
Dvalishvili is set for his second bantamweight title defense. He previously defeated Umar Nurmagomedov in a five-round victory. Before that, Dvalishvili won the bantamweight title with a dominant performance over O’Malley at UFC 306 in Las Vegas.
Despite not competing since losing his title to Dvalishvili, O’Malley will get a chance to reclaim it in this rematch in June.
Pena returns to the Octagon after a close decision win against Raquel Pennington, which made her a two-time UFC bantamweight champion. She has a record of 3-1 in her last four fights, including a significant victory over Amanda Nunes to initially become champion in 2021.
Her opponent, Harrison, is a two-time Olympic champion. The former PFL champion recently joined the UFC and quickly secured two wins against Holly Holm and Ketlen Vieira to earn this title opportunity.
Harrison`s professional record stands at 18-1, and she will aim to become the UFC champion when she faces Pena in June.
