Why Sean O'Malley Doesn't Regret Fighting Merab Dvalishvili Injured

Sean O'Malley had some time to reflect on his UFC 306 title loss to Merab Dvalishvili, and he has no regrets.

Sean O'Malley looks on during a UFC fight. / (via Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Sean O'Malley has no regrets taking the UFC 306 fight against Merab Dvalishvili while injured.

O'Malley was hoping to maintain his hold on the UFC Bantamweight Championship inside the Sphere in Las Vegas back in September. Things didn't pan out for the "Suga" show, as he dropped a unanimous decision and the 135-pound gold to Dvalishvili.

It was later revealed that O'Malley suffered a torn labrum 10 weeks before the title fight.

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Sean O'Malley On Why He Took Merab Dvalishvili Fight Injured

Sean O'Malley appeared as a guest on "The Ariel Helwani Show" post-UFC 306. During his appearance, the former bantamweight king revealed why he went through with the title fight against Merab Dvalishvili knowing he was injured.

"UFC Noche, f***ing Merab sucks, just there was no reason to pull out," O'Malley said.

No Regrets

O'Malley went on to share why he doesn't regret refusing to pull out of the fight.

"No, because I'm gonna whoop Merab's ass and it's gonna make it that much sweeter when I beat him the second time," O'Malley said.

Despite the injury, O'Malley said the torn labrum was a cake walk compared to a rib injury he suffered ahead of fighting Aljamain Sterling back in 2023.

"Overall, I had a good camp, way better than the Aljo camp," O'Malley said. "The rib injury was a lot harder to train with than the torn labrum. The labrum is just pain."

As far as how the torn labrum impacted his fight with Dvalishvili, O'Malley said his grappling ability was hindered.

"I was not able to wrestle as much as I would've liked," O'Malley said. "I know I can wrestle better than that. I've been training with really good guys for a long time and I know I can do better."

O'Malley will have some time to recover after undergoing successful surgery. He mentioned that while he's feeling good, the doctor told him to limit his activity for the time being.

If you use any quotes from this article, please leave an H/T to MMA Knockout on Sports Illustrated for the transcription.

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