UFC 316
| Company type | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports entertainment |
| Founded | June 7, 2025 |
| Headquarters | Newark, New Jersey , United States |
Area served | United States |
UFC 316: Dvalishvili vs. O'Malley 2 was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship, taking place on June 7, 2025, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, United States.
Background
This occasion represented the UFC’s 11th event hosted in Newark and their first return since UFC 302 held in June 2024.
The headline bout was a rematch for the UFC Bantamweight Championship featuring reigning titleholder Merab Dvalishvili against former champion Sean O'Malley. Their prior encounter occurred at UFC 306 in September 2024, where Dvalishvili secured the championship through a unanimous decision.
Serving as the co-main event was a contest for the UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship between two-time titleholder Julianna Peña and Olympic gold medalist as well as two-time PFL women's lightweight champion Kayla Harrison.
Initially planned was a bantamweight matchup between ex-title contender Marlon Vera and Mario Bautista, but Vera withdrew in May. He was replaced by promotional debutant and former Bellator Bantamweight Champion Patchy Mix. This bout had been postponed from May’s UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Figueiredo.
Flyweight fighters Bruno Gustavo da Silva and Joshua Van finally met after their originally scheduled fight at UFC 313 was canceled due to Silva sustaining an injury.
Heavyweight competitors Serghei Spivac and Shamil Gaziev were shifted from UFC Fight Night: Burns vs. Morales to this card; however, Gaziev pulled out and was replaced by former LFA Heavyweight Champion Waldo Cortes-Acosta.
A light heavyweight clash between Johnny Walker and Azamat Murzakanov, initially slated for UFC Fight Night: Burns vs. Morales, saw Walker withdraw because of injury. Brendson Ribeiro stepped in as his replacement.
The middleweight pairing of former interim title challenger Kelvin Gastelum and Joe Pyfer took place following the cancellation of their March bout due to Pyfer’s illness.
Welterweight fighter Uroš Medić withdrew citing sinusitis, with newcomer Albert Tadevosyan set to replace him. After failing medical clearance, Tadevosyan was substituted by another debutant, Andreas Gustafsson, who faced Khaos Williams.
At the official weigh-ins, former KSW Women's Flyweight Champion Ariane da Silva weighed in six pounds over the limit for her fight against Wang Cong. Consequently, the bout proceeded at catchweight, and da Silva forfeited 25% of her purse to Wang.
During the event broadcast, it was announced that Mark Kerr—two-time winner of UFC Heavyweight Tournaments (UFC 14 and UFC 15)—would be inducted as the final member into the UFC Hall of Fame for the 2025 International Fight Week celebrations in Las Vegas.
Bonus awards
Four athletes received $50,000 bonuses:
- Performance of the Night:: Merab Dvalishvili, Kayla Harrison, Kevin Holland, and Yoo Joo-sang
- No Fight of the Night award was presented.