Merab Dvalishvili: Sean O'Malley says he feels better than ever ahead of UFC 316 rematch with Merab Dvalishvili

Sean O'Malley says he feels better than ever ahead of UFC 316 rematch with Merab Dvalishvili

Modified Apr 02, 2025 17:54 GMT

Dana White recently announced Sean O'Malley vs Merab Dvalishvili as the main event of UFC 316, and 'Suga' is highly motivated to win back the title from 'The Machine'.

The pair fought at UFC 306, where Dvalishvili won the title by way of unanimous decision. After the loss, O'Malley underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum. Meanwhile, 'The Machine' defended the title against the then-undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311.

Hours after Dana White revealed the UFC 316 main event, Sean O'Malley shared how his body is feeling in episode 314 of the TimboSugarShow:

"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," O'Malley said.

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The former champion disclosed that he tore his labrum 10 weeks before the fight with Dvalishvili at UFC 306. With the injury concern sorted out with surgery, O'Malley is confident he will be 70 percent better in the rematch at UFC 316.

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

Sean O'Malley's coach makes intriguing description of Merab Dvalishvili's fighting style

Merab Dvalishvili has often faced criticism from a section of the MMA community for the lack of knockouts or submissions on his UFC resume. However, he has found a way to dominate his opponents and currently holds the record for the longest winning streak in bantamweight history.

During the same podcast episode, Tim Welch, Sean O'Malley's head coach, showed appreciation for Dvalishvili. Moreover, Welch described what kind of a fighter 'The Machine' is and how he wins bouts:

"I mean, it's exciting, dude. It's exciting because Merab, he is an animal. And it's not an animal that's going to beat your face in or crank your neck or submit you. It's an animal, he's an expert at winning positions for 25 minutes, cooking the clock, getting a decision, getting in positions where he's winning on the judges' scorecard. He's an expert at that." [21:17]

Sean O'Malley believes the UFC 316 fight will be like UFC 292, where he won the title from Aljamain Sterling.

Preluding the fight, not many picked O'Malley to dethrone Sterling. 'Suga' believes he will be a big underdog going into UFC 316 but will prevail like he did against 'Funk Master'.

About the author

Safeer M S is a baseball journalist at Sportskeeda, having delved into the sport professionally since 2024. His journey into baseball was sparked by Shohei Ohtani’s remarkable MLB performances, which ignited his passion for the game. Safeer’s enthusiasm for fantasy baseball further fueled his engagement with the sport.

Safeer supports baseball stars like Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, and Aaron Judge, with Shohei Ohtani's dual-threat dominance being his most memorable baseball moment. He admires Willie Mays for his athleticism and historic achievements in pinch-hitting and stealing bases.

In addition to his baseball expertise, Safeer is deeply passionate about combat sports, which he has been reporting on since 2022. His journey into combat sports began with Karate lessons in school, followed by boxing training. Films like Rocky 4, Never Back Down, and Warrior inspired his love for MMA, and witnessing Demetrious Johnson's victory over Kyoji Horiguchi solidified his commitment to the sport.

When not immersed in sports, Safeer enjoys playing football, working out, and watching anime or thriller movies.

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Edited by Harvey Leonard