Aljamain Sterling shares honest feelings about Sean O'Malley getting an instant rematch against Merab Dvalishvili

Aljamain Sterling recently shared his thoughts on the upcoming Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O'Malley rematch at UFC 316 in June and responded to a fan asking for his opinion on 'Suga' getting an immediate rematch.

After Sterling lost the bantamweight title to O'Malley at UFC 292 via second-round knockout, many expected the 'Funk Master' to secure an immediate rematch thanks to his impressive resume. However, that wasn't the case. O'Malley rematched Marlon Vera after taking the bantamweight title off Sterling before losing it to Dvalishvili at UFC 306 last September.

During a recent social media livestream, Dana White announced that O'Malley would fight for the title against Dvalishvili again at UFC 316, leading one fan to question why 'Suga' was deserving of an immediate rematch over Sterling. After the fan asked Sterling about it via an X post, the 'Funk Master' replied:

"Honest answer, the UFC’s gonna do what’s best for the business and the brand. Would I have liked an immediate rematch due to the circumstances going into the first fight? Absolutely. But I understand the business model better than most, and O’Malley is a really exciting guy that has beaten many top-five contenders. So, I think he rightfully deserves it after all the ranked names he has beaten."

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Sean O'Malley addresses UFC 316 title rematch against Merab Dvalishvili

Sean O'Malley recently shared his two cents on the Merab Dvalishvili rematch at UFC 316 and claimed that he's in the best shape of his life. The former bantamweight king previously faced Dvalishvili at UFC 306 last September, where he was dominated by the Georgian-American over five rounds.

In a recent episode of the TimboSugarShow, O'Malley shared an update on his physical state ahead of the upcoming rematch and said:

"Dude, I am so excited for this fight. My body, my body has not felt like this since, I fought Petr Yan. Since I fought Petr, my body hasn't felt this good since 2022. It's 2025 now. I fought Aljo, I fought 'Chito', I fought Merab, just dealing with little [injuries]...and I'm not saying I'm the only one. Every fighter's dealing with something, but I haven't felt this good."

Catch Sean O'Malley's comments below (17:29):

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Edited by Nishant Zende.