Top Five UFC Fights To Look Forward To In June

Merab Dvalishvili v Sean O’Malley

When: Sunday, June 8, SA time

One of four title fights fans will be treated to in June, Dvalishvili and O’Malley run it back for the bantamweight belt in the main event of UFC 316 at the Prudential Center in Newark.

This time, the roles are reversed with Dvalishvili entering as champion after dethroning O’Malley by decision last September. Vowing to be an active champion, Dvalishvili returned to the Octagon just four months after capturing the gold and handed Umar Nurmagomedov his first loss to extend his remarkable win streak to 11.

O’Malley, meanwhile, underwent hip surgery after his title loss and gets an immediate rematch due to his immense popularity. Claiming he was less than 100% for the first fight, “Suga” gets his chance to prove he can derail Dvalishvili in the sequel and become just the third two-time 135-pound champion.

Julianna Pena v Kayla Harrison

When: Sunday, June 8, SA time

UFC 316’s co-headliner is a heated affair for the women’s bantamweight title with Pena putting the gold on the line against two-time Olympic gold medal-winning judoka Harrison.

Pena pipped Raquel Pennington by split decision last October to recapture the belt. On the same card, UFC 307, Harrison conquered Ketlen Vieira to follow up her mauling of former champion Holly Holm in her UFC debut. Now, the former two-time PFL tournament champion gets her shot at UFC gold.

There’s no love lost between these ladies, and with the winner possibly earning a legacy fight against Amanda Nunes, the greatest female mixed martial artist of all time, the stakes can’t be higher.

Jamahal Hill v Khalil Rountree Jr

When: Saturday, June 21, SA time

Former light heavyweight king Hill and fellow top contender Rountree top the marquee at the Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The destructive strikers are looking to get back in the win column and begin another run towards a title shot. Hill is coming off knockout losses to then-champion Alex Pereira and ex-titleholder Jiri Prochazka, while Rountree put up a good fight but was also stopped in his title fight against Pereira.

Two big, explosive, top-10 205-pounders, this will be a banger.

Ilia Topuria v Charles Oliveira

When: Saturday, June 29, SA time

A new lightweight champion will be crowned in the main event of UFC 317 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Islam Makhachev will move up to welterweight later this year to challenge new 170-pound champion Jack Della Maddalena and has thus vacated the lightweight title.

Former featherweight king Topuria looks to add a second title to his collection, while Oliveira aims to become the first two-time lightweight champion. Topuria, who holds a perfect professional record, has become a legend killer and vows to take out “Do Bronx” like he did Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway in his last two fights.

The ultra-dangerous Oliveira, on the other hand, is out to show Topuria that the 155-pound division is a completely different ball game. Be sure not to miss this epic encounter. 

Alexandre Pantoja v Kai Kara-France

When: Sunday, June 29, SA time

Flyweight champion Pantoja looks to continue his dominant reign by turning back another hungry challenger in Kara-France in the co-main event of UFC 317.

Both men were on season 24 of The Ultimate Fighter back in 2016 and are now at the pinnacle of the sport. Pantoja has cemented himself as the best 125-pounder on the planet with title defences against Brandon Royval, Steve Erceg and Kai Asakura. 

Kara-France, meanwhile, is one of the hardest hitters and best strikers in the division and eyes his first UFC title following his first-round knockout of Erceg last August.