Cheima Moufdil
The official main card for UFC 316 is set, and it's shaping up to be a thrilling night of action at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, in just four weeks. The card features two massive title fights, with bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili defending his title against the man he took it from, Sean O’Malley. Despite O’Malley’s last loss being to Dvalishvili, he earns a rematch after the champion’s successful first title defense in January against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311.
In the co-main event, women’s bantamweight champion Julianna Peña will defend her title against former two-time PFL champion Kayla Harrison. Peña reclaimed her belt with a split decision victory over Raquel Pennington at UFC 307, while Harrison enters the fight undefeated in the UFC, with a dominant win over Ketlen Vieira. The winner of this fight could potentially face women’s MMA legend Amanda Nunes upon her return from a two-year retirement.
The main card also features a highly anticipated middleweight clash between Kelvin Gastelum and rising star Joe Pyfer. Former bantamweight title challenger Marlon Vera will face fellow Top 10 fighter Mario Bautista. Kicking off the night, a welterweight battle between Vicente Luque and Kevin Holland is sure to set the tone for an exciting event.