Sean O’Malley has a chance to get it all back.
The former UFC Bantamweight Champion will rematch incumbent 135-pound king Merab Dvalishvili in the main event of UFC 316, per an announcement made by the promotion on Tuesday night.
A second meeting between Dvalishvili and O’Malley will headline a June 7th pay-per-view card from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, USA, as confirmed by UFC CEO Dana White.
The matchup offers a chance at revenge for O’Malley, who saw his initial bantamweight title reign come to an end half a year ago. Dvalishvili took down O’Malley in the main event of UFC’s first-ever card at the Sphere last September, using his wrestling abilities to stifle O’Malley’s striking gameplan through five rounds.
The bout—which included undesirable moments like noticeable fouls from both fighters, drama between Dvalishvili and O’Malley’s corner which disrupted the contest and an incredibly low striking output from a champion known for his dazzling stand-up skills—was not remembered as one of the best fights of 2024.
The bout marked O’Malley’s first loss in years, ending a run which saw him dethrone Aljamain Sterling in 2023 via second-round stoppage before dominating Marlon Vera in a five-round striking clinic to defend his belt for the first time.
O’Malley, 30, will be returning for the first time since that loss at UFC 316.
For Georgia’s Dvalishvili, the June booking is expected to already be his second appearance of the year. He previously defended his title in a competitive five-round performance against Umar Nurmagomedov in January, ending the Russian’s 18-fight undefeated streak.
The bantamweight division’s short, 15-year history has not seen many long-reigning champions. In fact, if Dvalishvili wins in his upcoming performance, he’ll become just one of five fighters who defended their belt twice or more in the division. Others include Dominick Cruz, Renan Barao, TJ Dillashaw and his training partner, Aljamain Sterling.
Former PFL Champ Harrison To Challenge Pena For Bantamweight Title
Both 135-pound classes will have their best in action at UFC 316.
Former multi-time PFL champion and Olympian Kayla Harrison will get her inevitable UFC Bantamweight Championship shot in June, taking on Julianna Pena.
Judo specialist turned MMA superstar Harrison quickly moved up the bantamweight rankings in her rookie year as a UFC fighter. Heading to the promotion following a PFL run that saw her win their lightweight brackets in 2019 and 2021, Harrison needed just two wins in the UFC before she was considered championship calibre.
Harrison submitted former champ Holly Holm at UFC 300 last year, catching the veteran with a second-round rear naked choke. Then a few months later she came back to face Ketlen Vieira in a three-round decision victory.
After fighting as high as 155 pounds as a pro, Harrison’s move to bantamweight last year raised some eyebrows. While a couple of weight cuts in the division have come and gone without drama for 34-year-old Harrison, she’ll have to go the extra mile and cut down to the 135-pound limit without an extra-pound allowance for the upcoming fight, as is usual for title bouts.
Two-time bantamweight champ Pena will be looking to spoil the hype train of Harrison. The decade-long UFC vet, who is best known for her massive 2021 upset win against Amanda Nunes, regained her title last October with a split decision win over Raquel Pennington.
A win in the fight would make Pena the first person not named Amanda Nunes or Ronda Rousey to successfully defend the UFC Bantamweight Championship.
The upcoming card marks a third consecutive year that New Jersey has received a PPV. Last year, the state paid $5 million to host an event headlined by Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier. It’s unclear at the moment if a similar partnership is in place this year.
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