The UFC bantamweight title fight between Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley is confirmed for UFC 316.
Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley are set to clash for the second time in under a year, headlining UFC 316 in Newark, New Jersey.
UFC CEO Dana White announced this main event for UFC 316 during a live session. The complete fight card for the June 7th pay-per-view event is expected to be finalized soon.
Dvalishvili`s last title defense was against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 in January, where he secured a victory by unanimous decision. For his upcoming defense, Dvalishvili aims to definitively end his rivalry with O’Malley, having previously won the title at UFC 306 last September.
Rematch Set After Dvalishvili`s Title Win Over O`Malley
O’Malley seeks to avenge his defeat against Dvalishvili, which ended his reign as bantamweight champion. Before losing to Dvalishvili, O’Malley had won the title by knocking out Aljamain Sterling and then defended it against Marlon Vera at UFC 299.
Dvalishvili is heading into this rematch with confidence after his performance at UFC 311 against Nurmagomedov. Despite being the underdog, Dvalishvili delivered a dominant performance, overwhelming Nurmagomedov with his striking and grappling.
Following his loss to Dvalishvili, O’Malley took a break and underwent hip surgery shortly after UFC 306. Initially accepting the loss, O’Malley later claimed he was robbed and believed he should have won the judges` decision to retain his title.
This rematch is somewhat unusual, given it`s happening so soon after their first fight and O’Malley’s break. O’Malley will be looking to demonstrate his improvements and counter Dvalishvili`s wrestling, which was effective in their first encounter.
Co-main Event: Julianna Peña vs. Kayla Harrison at UFC 316
UFC 316 will also feature another significant fight: Julianna Peña, the UFC women’s bantamweight champion, will face Kayla Harrison, former PFL champion, in the co-main event. This announcement was made alongside the main event. Peña became champion by defeating Raquel Pennington at UFC 307 last October via split decision.
The co-main event is highly anticipated due to the existing tension between Peña and Harrison. Peña has accused Harrison of using performance-enhancing drugs throughout her career and made allegations about Harrison and others at American Top Team.
Harrison has a 2-0 record in the UFC bantamweight division after a successful career in PFL, where she won multiple championships. Her recent UFC fight was a win against Ketlen Vieira at UFC 307, following her debut victory against Holly Holm at UFC 300.
UFC 316 marks a quick return to Newark, New Jersey for the UFC, after hosting UFC 302 in June, headlined by Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier.
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