Sean O’Malley is prepared to deliver an exciting performance in his upcoming rematch with Merab Dvalishvili, regardless of the audience size.
The UFC has officially announced that O’Malley will face bantamweight champion Dvalishvili in the main event of UFC 316, scheduled for June 7 in Newark, New Jersey. Dvalishvili previously defeated O’Malley to claim the title last September and subsequently defended it against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311. O’Malley has not competed since his defeat.
The immediate rematch has drawn criticism from fans who are puzzled by O’Malley’s swift opportunity for a title shot after losing their first encounter by decision. O’Malley addressed these concerns on The Ariel Helwani Show, advising those dissatisfied with the rematch announcement.
“Don’t watch,” O’Malley stated. “On Saturday night, June 7, tune into your reality TV shows instead. Just don`t watch the fight.”
O’Malley had previously expressed his desire for an immediate rematch with Dvalishvili, even mentioning a need for surgery and recovery for a shoulder injury. Upon his return to fighting readiness, O’Malley indicated he wasn`t making demands to UFC matchmakers, but he clearly communicated his strong wish to avenge his loss to Dvalishvili, title or not.
“I am very thankful to the UFC for granting me this rematch,” O’Malley said. “My discussions with the UFC were minimal. I conveyed that this was the only fight I was interested in. I wanted to reclaim the belt—actually, more than the belt, I wanted to fight Merab again. I wanted to settle things from our last fight, and there wasn`t much negotiation needed. It was essentially agreed upon, let`s make it happen.”
According to O’Malley, his injury hampered his training for their first fight, particularly in preparing for Dvalishvili’s dominant grappling style. It`s worth noting O’Malley`s prior victory against another grappling expert, Aljamain Sterling, Dvalishvili’s teammate, at UFC 292, which initiated his own title contention (though Sterling’s wrestling was notably absent in that fight).
Dvalishvili inflicted only the second defeat in O’Malley’s professional record—the first being against Marlon “Chito” Vera—and O’Malley is determined to bounce back from this setback.
“There are two paths after a loss,” O’Malley explained. “You can either regress or progress, and I intend to progress. The training camp and the fight itself didn`t unfold as planned, but I believe it will make the victory in this rematch even more rewarding. I anticipate being a significant underdog. Many will underestimate what I am capable of on June 7, which will make winning all the more satisfying.”
“I had to wait over three years to demonstrate that the first fight with Chito wasn`t representative of my abilities. This time, the wait is much shorter, and I am eager to go out there and achieve a similar outcome in this rematch with Merab.”
Crucially for O’Malley, he doesn’t believe he was completely outmatched by Dvalishvili in their first fight, at least not to the extent that it negates the justification for an immediate rematch. However, he understands the skepticism surrounding his position as the top contender.
He plans to demonstrate on fight night precisely why he deserves this second opportunity so soon.
“I don’t think many people have genuinely rewatched our last fight because it’s not the kind of fight that demands repeated viewings,” O’Malley commented. “However, on a second viewing, you might notice it was a bit closer than it initially seemed live. But most people haven’t rewatched it, aren’t interested in rewatching it, and their initial opinions will likely remain unchanged.”
“Again, if you’re not interested, don’t watch. But when I go out there and win, I guarantee people will rewatch it, or at least watch the highlights if there’s a finish. It could be a five-round decision, or it could end in a finish, we’ll see. Ultimately, when that Saturday comes, people will be talking about it.”
