MMA Knockout

Sean O'Malley vows to be '70% better' in Merab Dvalishvili rematch

Mathew Riddle

Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Despite all odds, Sean O'Malley is getting his bantamweight title rematch with Merab Dvalishvili in the main event of UFC 316 later this year.

O'Malley hasn't fought since losing his belt at UFC 306 - a grueling loss to Dvalishvili highlighted by a lack of urgency from 'Sugar.' On the other hand, Dvalishvili defended his belt three months later at UFC 311, handing Umar Nurmagomedov his first loss.

Entering his rematch, O'Malley is keen to point out that he'll be much better after a six month layoff.

Merab Dvalishvili grapples Sean O'Malley at UFC 30
Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Sean O'Malley explains groin injury as reason for lacklustre UFC 306 performance

Speaking on his YouTube channel, O'Malley believes he'll be entering this rematch '70 percent' better than he was at UFC 306, mostly due to his recovery from a torn groin.

"My groin kept me up at night," O'Malley said. "I tore my labrum ten weeks before the fight, which is where we're at from the fight right now... It wasn't ideal...

"[...] I don't wanna jinx it but if I can just keep this pace up, how we've been able to train this last few weeks, all the way up to the fight, I'm going to be 70 percent better than I was in that first fight."

UFC 316 announced fights

As it stands, UFC 316 has six fights, headlined by two championship bouts: Dvalishvili vs. O'Malley 2, and Julianna Pena vs. Kayla Harrison.

  • (c) Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O'Malley; Bantamweight
  • (c) Julianna Pena vs. Kayla Harrison; Bantamweight
  • Mario Bautista vs. Marlon Vera; Bantamweight
  • Johnny Walker vs. Azamat Murzakanov; Light Heavyweight
  • Bruno Silva vs. Joshua Van; Flyweight
  • Serghei Spivac vs. Shamil Gaziev; Heavyweight

More MMA Knockout News


Stick with MMAKnockout for more FREE coverage of the UFC, MMA, Boxing, WWE, and AEW. Follow MMAKnockout on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Published
Mathew Riddle
MATHEW RIDDLE

Mathew is a UK-based combat sports journalist, graphic designer, and SEO expert with half a decade of digital marketing and a dedicated four-year track record in MMA journalism. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023. Mathew's insights have been featured on Bloody Elbow, The Fight Fanatic, and Heavy on UFC. He runs Warrior Tribune and can be contacted by his Muckrack profile.

Home/News