"He doesn’t deserve a rematch" - Fans react to rumor of Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O'Malley 2 headlining UFC 316 in Newark, New Jersey

The news about Merab Dvalishvili facing Sean O'Malley in a rematch has caught the attention of MMA fans across the world. While some were hesitant to see O'Malley getting another crack at the crown, predicting Dvalishvili to win again, others recommended fresh matchups for the reigning champion.

MMA journalist going by @realkevink recently claimed on X that O'Malley is set to headline UFC 316 in a rematch against Dvalishvili on June 7 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The individual further added that the co-main event would feature a bantamweight title fight between reigning champion Julianna Pena and top contender Kayla Harrison:

''Sean O’Malley vs Merab Dvalishvili is Official for the #UFC316 Main Event. 'Suga' is currently in fight camp as well. I am unsure the current status of Pantoja KKF. At the moment #UFC316 looks like: Sean vs Merab 2, Kayla vs Pena Co Main''

Although there has been no official announcement yet, fans soon rushed to share their reactions in the comments, with one fan writing:

''He doesn’t deserve a rematch at all''

Another one stated:

''I don't understand how O'Malley gets a rematch after defending against Chito, I would've liked to see Yan O'Malley title eliminator!''

Other fans wrote:

''I guess this is cool and all but like I don't see how it ends any different then the last one''

''Sincerely...the main event in my opinion must be Pantoja vs Merab. Pantoja had destroyed everybody in his weight class...he needs a step-up. The fight Merab vs Sean is nonsense, he was controlled in that fight and was even loosing in striking...but well...we love this sport''

Check out more reactions below:

Fan reactions [Screenshots courtesy: @realkevink on X]

O'Malley made his second title defense against Dvalishvili at Noche UFC 306 last year. The Georgian fighter put up a dominant performance and captured the title via unanimous decision.

Dvalishvili then faced emerging contender Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 and successfully defended his title by securing another unanimous decision victory.

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Cory Sandhagen discusses a potential rematch between Sean O'Malley and Merab Dvalishvili

Rumors of Merab Dvalishvili facing Sean O'Malley in a rematch have been circulating on the internet. UFC CEO Dana White also hinted about it during the post-fight press conference for UFC Seattle last month.

In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Cory Sandhagen claimed that O'Malley's popularity will get him a rematch, saying:

''I’m not surprised – we all know why. O’Malley has a really big following. That’s the reason... There’s a lot of things that go into the sport, and being more famous than other people is one of them. Sean O’Malley has that leverage over everybody, and good on him. He worked really hard in order to gain that, so I’m not going to hate on him for it. But that’s definitely why.” [H/t: MMA Junkie]

Check out Cory Sandhagen's full comments below: