UFC returns to Newark, N.J. with another stacked card, headlined by a pair of blockbuster championship bouts. In the UFC 316 main event, reigning bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili rematches with former title holder and No. 1 ranked contender Sean O’Malley. The co-main event will see women’s bantamweight champion Julianna Pena defend her newly won belt against No. 2 ranked Kayla Harrison.
UFC 316: DVALISHVILI vs. O’MALLEY 2 takes place Saturday, June 7 at Prudential Center, with the main card available on ESPN+ PPV at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. The prelims will be available on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, as well as simulcast in English and Spanish on ESPN+, at 8p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The early prelims will kick off at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT on ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass.
UFC returns to Prudential Center after setting the venue’s live sporting event gate record in 2024 with UFC®302 headlined by Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier. UFC 316: DVALISHVILI vs. O’MALLEY 2 will mark the eleventh UFC event at the famed arena dating back to 2007.
UFC 316: DVALISHVILI vs. O’MALLEY 2 will go on sale this Friday, April 18 at 10 a.m. ET and are available for purchase at Ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person.
“NJSEA, the city of Newark and Prudential Center continue to be great partners to us,” said Peter Dropick, Executive Vice President of Event Development and Operations, UFC. “Makhachev vs. Poirier was one of our top fights last year and set the gate record at this famed arena. We’re thrilled to be returning for the third year in a row. I know UFC 316 will be another special night.”
“New Jersey is proud to be a premium entertainment destination for visitors across the country and world,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “We are excited to welcome the UFC back to Newark, bringing an incredible experience to thousands of fans while also generating economic activity for the region.”
“Hosting UFC in Newark for the third year in a row shows that our city rises to the same level of excitement as the event’s electrifying fight card,” said Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka. “It is an honor to be selected and to welcome fans from all across the globe to deliver the perfect one-two-punch of hospitality and entertainment.”
“For the third consecutive year, Prudential Center is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to welcome our partners at UFC back to Newark,” said Tad Brown, Chief Executive Officer, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment. “UFC 316 promises to be another record-breaking night as Prudential Center continues to deliver as a destination for marquee events. We look forward to hosting fans from all over the world for the next unforgettable night in New Jersey’s rich combat sports history.”
Dvalishvili (19-4, fighting out of Long Island, N.Y. by way of Tbilisi, Georgia) looks to leave no doubt that he is the best bantamweight on the planet. The first Georgian-born champion in UFC history, Dvalishvili is currently on an 11-fight win streak, the longest in UFC bantamweight history, which includes victories over Umar Nurmagomedov, Sean O’Malley and Henry Cejudo. He now intends to further etch his name into the record books with another dominant performance.
Former champion O’Malley (18-2, fighting out of Glendale, Ariz.) makes his return to the Octagon for the first time since dropping the title to Dvalishvili last September. An elite and exciting striker with the most post-fight bonuses in UFC bantamweight history (9), he has entertained fans with finishes of Aljamain Sterling, Raulian Paiva and Kris Moutinho. O’Malley now plans to regain UFC gold by taking out Dvalishvili with a vintage showing.
Pena (12-5, fighting out of Chicago, Ill.) seeks to make her second reign as bantamweight champion a historic one. The first woman to win The Ultimate Fighter, Pena holds notable wins over former UFC champions Amanda Nunes, Raquel Pennington and Nicco Montano. She now looks to make her biggest statement yet by handing Harrison her first loss in the UFC.
A two-time Olympic gold medalist in Judo for the United States, Harrison (18-1, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) has her sights set on adding UFC gold to her impressive resume. In her short time as part of the UFC roster, Harrison has already earned impressive wins over former champion Holly Holm and Ketlen Vieira. She now intends to start off her 2025 campaign with a title-winning effort.
Current bouts also on the card include:
• No. 7 ranked bantamweight contender Marlon Vera (23-10-1, fighting out of Chone, Manabi, Ecuador) looks to halt the momentum of No. 10 Mario Bautista (15-2, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz.)• Thrilling welterweight actions pits No. 14 ranked contender Vicente Luque (23-10-1, fighting out of Brasilia, Brazil) against Kevin Holland (27-13, 1NC, fighting out of Fort Worth, Texas)• An exciting flyweight bout pits No. 12 ranked contender Bruno Silva (14-6-2 1NC, fighting out of Piracicaba, Sao Paulo, Brazil) against No. 14 Joshua Van (14-2, fighting out of Houston, Texas)• Light heavyweight action sees No. 10 ranked contender Johnny Walker (21-9 1NC, fighting out of Dublin, Ireland by way of Rio das Ostras, Brazil) take on undefeated No. 12 ranked Azamat Murzakanov (14-0, fighting out of Fairfield, N.J. by way of Nalchik, Russia)• No. 14 ranked flyweight contender Ariane da Silva (17-10, fighting out of Curitiba, Parana, Brazil) aims to defend her spot in the rankings against Wang Cong (7-1, fighting out of Shanghai, China)
