“Round 5, I won. I am the champ. God is good. 1, 3, 5 rounds I won. Defending [the] belt against Umar in Vegas June/July,” Sean O’Malley posted on X after losing to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306. Although later on, O’Malley accepted defeat, his fans echoed his sentiment. They argued, the fight was closer despite ‘The Machine’ outlanding ‘Suga’ 82 to 47 in significant strikes. The current champ felt disrespected by the lack of credit that he received even after showing an amazing performance. Now, he has found a new motivation before UFC 316.

Merab Dvalishvili was long criticized for his fighting style, but that changed after he dominated Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311, handing Khabib’s cousin his first loss. After passing the biggest test of his career, there was uncertainty about his next opponent. Many expected Petr Yan, fresh off impressive wins over Song Yadong and Deiveson Figueiredo. However, the UFC decided to book a rematch with Sean O’Malley instead.

The rematch was expected down the line, but O’Malley getting an immediate shot after getting dominated in the first fight didn’t sit well with a lot of MMA fans. Still, there’s a reason Merab agreed to run it back. According to him, it all goes back to the disrespect he felt after their last fight, when some questioned whether he truly won decisively. At UFC 316, he’s looking to put all that doubt to rest once and for all.

In an interview with Anthony Smith on ESPN MMA, Merab said, “So, when I was at the UFC office, and I was talking… UFC to okay.. I’m tired of almost disrespecting me. Let’s make this fight happen, I know he wants to fight in January. Okay, even when I’m injured and even if it’s like I was willing to fight, maybe February, March, I’m taking, but, okay, so when I tell this. When Dana announced how it’s happened. So, the same day, I said, I’m taking this fight, but if god willing, if I win, I want to be busy, I wanna fight in March, April, whenever.”

That’s definitely commendable from ‘The Machine’, showing a willingness to bounce back this quickly. He also revealed that after the Umar fight, the UFC called him to fight in New Jersey, and he agreed. He felt the timing made sense, especially since it gave Sean O’Malley enough time to recover.

He added, “So, they told me okay, ‘we’ll keep you busy, Sean O’Malley must be good fight for you.’ After I beat Umar, the UFC called me and asked me if I wanna fight either in April, which is in Miami or June in New Jersey, and I say yes to June in New Jersey because first reason Sean will have more time for recovery, and second, it’s like New Jersey is like my home.”

Merab last fought in January, while O’Malley’s last outing was in September, giving both fighters plenty of time to recover and sharpen their game before the rematch. ‘Suga’ did find some success in the later rounds with his teep kicks, which gave the Georgian some trouble. But he couldn’t keep the momentum. Now, with the rematch set, it’s the perfect opportunity for him to bounce back from his last adversity.

While they’ve been training to come back stronger, many believe O’Malley’s underwhelming performance at UFC 306 in their first fight was due to an injury he was dealing with.

Joe Rogan believes Sean O’Malley’s hip injury affected his fight against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306

UFC 306 inside the Sphere was nothing short of a spectacle, especially as a tribute to Mexico. Sean O’Malley was already seen as the promotion’s biggest star, rivaling even Conor McGregor in popularity. But Merab Dvalishvili completely derailed that hype. ‘Suga’s performance came under heavy scrutiny and was later linked to the hip surgery he underwent before the event.

Now, as the UFC 316 rematch is approaching, Joe Rogan has again brought back that conversation. In the JRE episode #2325, the UFC color commentator said, “There’s a lot of these fighters that take these fights because it’s a lot of money and it’s a big event and they don’t want to cancel and they got a significant injury. Sean could not wrestle. Imagine not being able to wrestle in camp, and you got to go face Merab.”

That’s a valid point! Being healthy during training and fight night is crucial. However, O’Malley looked solid defending Merab’s takedowns, and most criticism focused on how he didn’t push harder over the full five rounds. Signs of injury were subtle at best, though it’s possible it played a role. Either way, many felt he could’ve done more to turn the tide in that fight.

Coming 7th June will present opportunities for both to do better than the last time. With that being said, who do you think takes the cake this time? Sean O’Malley or Merab Dvalishvili? Please let us know in the comments section below!