When Dana White announced the rematch between Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili, many believed ‘Suga’ had a shot at reclaiming his crown. After all, he had gone radio silent on social media and appeared laser-focused. But on D-day, it was Dvalishvili who showed up better prepared, showcasing improved striking, and an overall game. Known for his cardio, Merab somehow pushed an even crazier pace at UFC 316, overwhelming O’Malley and finishing the fight within three rounds.

So, what changed? According to Tim Welch and O’Malley himself, Dvalishvili wasn’t just better—he was unrecognizable, like a completely different animal from the man they faced at UFC 306. Speaking on their YouTube show, the Timbo Suga Show, Tim Welch emphasized that they did everything in their power to subdue Dvalishvili. But in the end, it all felt like a waste.” God damn it, we prepared the absolute best we could,” said Welch.

He further added, “Second round, you did a great job wrestling more, and just like DC said, it felt like the tide was kind of turning towards us. But at the end of the day, I’m like, that Merab—I feel like—was already a different Merab than we fought at the Sphere.” Dvalishvili didn’t just capitalize on his cardio and relentless pace—he outstruck O’Malley. In their bout, ‘The Machine’ landed 52 significant strikes, while O’Malley managed only 31.

There was a moment when Sean O’Malley began gaining momentum in the fight, but Merab Dvalishvili quickly turned the tides and sent O’Malley off guard. Chiming in on the topic, ‘Suga’ explained that he was nervous in his second fight against Dvalishvili, “I definitely was more—I definitely felt this kind of nervous feeling that I’m not used to, just because of how the first fight played out,” said O’Malley.

He further added, “Knowing his cardio is so crazy, knowing if it hits the ground… I knew I had worked on the takedown defense so much, I knew I was able to get up. But I’m like—I also know there’s a chance that this fight plays out the same way it did. So I was like, in the back, that was there. I was more nervous this fight, probably, than I’ve ever been. Like, do you feel vulnerable? You’re in the cage like, ‘All right, this [ __ ] grabs a hold of me, there’s a chance that I can’t get away from this little f—–r.'”

Merab Dvalishvili became the first person ever to submit Sean O’Malley—a north-south ninja choke in round 3. Despite losing the battle, ‘Suga’ has ascertained that he has no regrets about his performance at UFC 316.

 Sean O’Malley comes clean on his defeat against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 316

“Happiness is a skill,” said Sean O’Malley while reflecting on his defeat against Merab Dvalishvili. After recovering from hip surgery following his initial bout with ‘The Machine,’ ‘Suga’ returned to the Octagon last weekend to face his nemesis once again. Despite his best efforts, he was defeated by the relentless Georgian.

While speaking on his YouTube handle, O’Malley highlighted that he has no regrets about the defeat, “So for me to be able to go through something like that and then the next Sunday rolls around, Monday rolls around, I don’t feel sad at all – I still feel really happy. I feel a little disappointed in the outcome. I feel a little frustrated, but there’s no sadness inside of me. I’m holding my 14-day-old.”

He further added, “I’ll close my eyes and I’ll picture things like when I started locking up the guillotine, I could’ve done something. I could’ve done this. I could’ve done that. But I’m like, ah, man—there’s nothing I can do about it now… I still feel very good.” With back-to-back humbling experiences, Sean O’Malley has finally accepted Merab as the greatest bantamweight of all time, “(He’s the) greatest of all time—greatest bantamweight of all time.” 

What’s next for O’Malley? Well, he’s still in the top 5 of the division, and there is no shortage of contenders. Umar Nurmagomedov? Perhaps, a trilogy bout with Marlon Vera or rematch with Petr Yan? At this point, even though the fall has been rough, the sky is still the limit for the 30-year-old Sean O’Malley. We’ll just have to wait and see what’s next for ‘Suga.’