After dropping his bantamweight strap at UFC 306 following a loss by unanimous decision to Merab Dvalishvili, Sean O’Malley claimed to have been injured. He headed into the fight with a bad hip, tearing his labrum. Critics questioned the wisdom of entering a title defense injured, but O’Malley insisted the decision was worth it, and he had two reasons.

Post-fight, O’Malley underwent surgery in early October 2024 and has since recovered. He’s preparing to challenge Dvalishvili again at UFC 316 on June 7, 2025, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The rematch carries high stakes, and O’Malley is approaching it with renewed focus and intensity.

O’Malley stood by his choice to fight hurt, stating his confidence remained unshaken before UFC 306. “Two things. One, like I said, I was still confident I was going to beat Merab. I didn’t walk into that cage thinking I’m going to lose. I went into that fight thinking I was going to win,” Sean O’Malley told veteran journalist Kevin Iole. Then came the second reason, which may have been the real motive behind ‘Suga’s decision to fight Merab Dvalishvili with a bad hip. We’re indeed talking about the venue.

The Las Vegas Sphere is a visual spectacle like no other that captured Dana White‘s attention last year. The fight took place at The Sphere is indeed a revolutionary venue that captivated fans with its immersive visuals. UFC 306, despite the main event’s outcome, shattered the promotion’s live gate record, pulling in approximately $21.8 million. For O’Malley, headlining the first UFC event at The Sphere was an irresistible opportunity to etch his name in the sport’s history.

“And two, it was the Sphere. It was this big, you know, thing built up… It’s got the highest record of attendance. I own that record… and that was cool to me,” Sean O’Malley added. “I mean, coming up, watching Conor break all these records, Floyd has these PPV records. Like, records to me was something I was kind of chasing, like something I cared about. And that was a cool thing for me to have… That was a big.”

Even though he lost the first encounter, Sean O’Malley still has the same confidence ahead of his rematch against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 316. During another recent interview, ‘Suga’ laid bare his thoughts on the game place side of the fight with a witty response. Here’s what he said.

Sean O’Malley plans total domination against Merab Dvalishvili

Sean O’Malley’s coach, Tim Welch, recently declared Merab Dvalishvili as the greatest bantamweight fighter ever after ‘Suga’ befriended the Georgian star months after their clash. But there is no soft spot, so fans should not be mistaken. O’Malley is as focused as he can be for a fight of such magnitude at UFC 316. He plans to do what he knows he can do and beat Dvalishvili comprehensively during the entire 25 minutes.

“I gotta win the first three rounds, and I gotta win the last two rounds. I gotta break ‘The Machine’ and I gotta beat him, win the positions, and I know I could beat Merab,” Sean O’Malley told Jim Rome. “He is open to be getting knocked out. I am very confident that I can put his lights out. I am also confident that I can beat him in a five-round fight.” Despite losing the first bout, O’Malley hasn’t lost belief in his abilities.

“I’ve got to win every round. I’ve got to break ‘The Machine,’” he said in a recent interview with Jim Rome. “He’s hittable. I’m confident I can knock him out or beat him over five rounds.”

O’Malley has transformed his approach in preparation for UFC 316. He’s even enlisted former UFC flyweight king Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson to sharpen his grappling. It was a key area exposed in his previous clash with Dvalishvili. In contrast, Dvalishvili, known for his chain wrestling, enters the rematch as champion. However, a recent toe injury sustained during sparring raised concerns about his readiness. Though still scheduled to compete, fans and analysts will watch closely to see if the injury affects his performance.

Given how the last fight went, fans may predict the rematch to be similar, but Sean O’Malley has left no stone unturned in his preparation for this rematch. He’s hungry and motivated and even took some time off social media to get better at his craft. But everything comes down to June 7 when the cage door closes and he’s standing opposite Merab Dvalishvili. How do you think the rematch is going at UFC 316? Drop your comments below.