UFC is making a highly anticipated return to New Jersey with two thrilling championship fights. Men’s bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili will defend his title against former titleholder Sean O’Malley in a rematch, while women’s bantamweight champion Julianna Pena faces former PFL champion Kayla Harrison. This exciting event is scheduled for June 7 at the Prudential Center, New Jersey.

Earlier speculation hinted that UFC could announce a heavyweight unification bout or a superfight between champion Islam Makhachev and former champion Ilia Topuria, but the announcement revealed the highly anticipated bantamweight rematch instead. Dvalishvili and O’Malley previously faced off for five rounds at Noche UFC last September.

Background on Fighters

Dvalishvili, now 34, is on a 12-fight winning streak. His most notable victory came against Umar Nurmagomedov, where he was an underdog. On the other hand, O’Malley, 30, last competed and lost to Dvalishvili.

In the women’s title fight, Pena reclaimed her title last October by defeating Raquel Pennington. This was significant after a lengthy break from fighting, during which she suffered a loss to Amanda Nunes in 2022. Harrison, 34, made waves with her UFC debut, submitting Holly Holm at UFC 300 last April and a decision win over Ketlen Vieira.

This double-header promises to be a significant event in the UFC calendar as it brings together two championship bouts that fans have eagerly awaited.