UFC 316 LIVE: Date, UK start time, fight card and how to follow as Sean O’Malley looks to regain title in Merab Dvalishvili rematch
Sean O’Malley will return to the octagon in June as his rematch with Merab Dvalishvili headlines UFC 316 in New Jersey. O’Malley lost his bantamweight title last September as Dvalishvili won via decision to take the belt from him at Las Vegas’ Sphere. Dvalishvili beat O’Malley to claim the bantamweight strap in VegasGetty But ‘Suga’ now has the chance to redeem himself after suffering only the second loss of his career last time out, following a wait for a rematch. Dvalishili defended his title against Umar Nurmagomedov earlier this year before confirming he’d take on O’Malley again next. And now they’re going to go head-to-head for a second time at the top of a bill that also includes a title bout between Julianna Pena and Kayla Harrison. UFC 316: Date and how to follow This UFC event will take place on Saturday, June 7 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The early preliminary card are scheduled to get started at 11pm UK time before the preliminary card starts at 1am on Sunday morning. The main card will begin at around 3am on Sunday, June 8 in the UK. Fans can watch the prelims live on the UFC Fight Pass before the main fights are broadcast live on TNT Sports and more details can be found here. talkSPORT and talkSPORT.com will also be across all the latest. To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream. You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM. O’Malley has the chance to win his belt backGetty UFC 316: Fight card Subject to change MAIN EVENT: Merab Dvalishvili vs Sean O’Malley 2 – for UFC bantamweight title Julianna Pena vs Kayla Harrison – for UFC women’s bantamweight title Vicente Luque vs Kevin Holland Kelvin Gastelum vs Joe Pyfer Marlon Vera vs Mario Bautista Bruno Silva vs Joshua Van Ariane Da Silva vs Wang Cong Johnny Walker vs Azamat Murzakanov UFC 316: What has been said? The decision to set up a rematch between O’Malley and Dvalishvili was criticised after it was announced, with some fans wanting the UFC to go in a different direction. However, ‘Suga’ hit back at those unhappy with a simple two-word message: “Don’t watch.” He added: “Saturday night, June 7, ******* watch your reality TV show. Don’t watch the fight. “I’m very grateful for the UFC for giving me the rematch. I didn’t really have much conversation with UFC. I did tell them that was really the only fight I was interested in. “I wanted the belt back — it wasn’t even I wanted the belt back, I wanted Merab. I wanted that fight back and there wasn’t much negotiation there. It was kind of like, alright, let’s do it.”
Sean O’Malley will return to the octagon in June as his rematch with Merab Dvalishvili headlines UFC 316 in New Jersey.
O’Malley lost his bantamweight title last September as Dvalishvili won via decision to take the belt from him at Las Vegas’ Sphere.
But ‘Suga’ now has the chance to redeem himself after suffering only the second loss of his career last time out, following a wait for a rematch.
Dvalishili defended his title against Umar Nurmagomedov earlier this year before confirming he’d take on O’Malley again next.
And now they’re going to go head-to-head for a second time at the top of a bill that also includes a title bout between Julianna Pena and Kayla Harrison.
UFC 316: Date and how to follow
This UFC event will take place on Saturday, June 7 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
The early preliminary card are scheduled to get started at 11pm UK time before the preliminary card starts at 1am on Sunday morning.
The main card will begin at around 3am on Sunday, June 8 in the UK.
Fans can watch the prelims live on the UFC Fight Pass before the main fights are broadcast live on TNT Sports and more details can be found here.
talkSPORT and talkSPORT.com will also be across all the latest.
To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream.
You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.
UFC 316: Fight card
Subject to change
- MAIN EVENT: Merab Dvalishvili vs Sean O’Malley 2 – for UFC bantamweight title
- Julianna Pena vs Kayla Harrison – for UFC women’s bantamweight title
- Vicente Luque vs Kevin Holland
- Kelvin Gastelum vs Joe Pyfer
- Marlon Vera vs Mario Bautista
- Bruno Silva vs Joshua Van
- Ariane Da Silva vs Wang Cong
- Johnny Walker vs Azamat Murzakanov
UFC 316: What has been said?
The decision to set up a rematch between O’Malley and Dvalishvili was criticised after it was announced, with some fans wanting the UFC to go in a different direction.
However, ‘Suga’ hit back at those unhappy with a simple two-word message: “Don’t watch.”
He added: “Saturday night, June 7, ******* watch your reality TV show. Don’t watch the fight.
“I’m very grateful for the UFC for giving me the rematch. I didn’t really have much conversation with UFC. I did tell them that was really the only fight I was interested in.
“I wanted the belt back — it wasn’t even I wanted the belt back, I wanted Merab. I wanted that fight back and there wasn’t much negotiation there. It was kind of like, alright, let’s do it.”
