UFC fighter Sean O’Malley reports feeling better than ever as he prepares for his upcoming rematch against Merab Dvalishvili.
Next Saturday, O’Malley will challenge Dvalishvili for the bantamweight championship, a title he lost to “The Machine” at UFC 306. In anticipation of the bout, O’Malley has implemented significant changes in his training, including working with elite fighters like Israel Adesanya and Demetrious Johnson. However, perhaps the most impactful preparation for UFC 316 has been eliminating distractions, specifically social media and marijuana.
During a recent conversation with Jim Rome, O’Malley highlighted the profound positive effects of his 2025 social media detox.
“Few things genuinely change your life, but stepping away from my personal social media has been one of them,” O’Malley stated. “My accounts are still active, managed by my team who creates content, but my personal choice to avoid checking my phone, Instagram, Snapchat, or Twitter, and not engaging with that virtual world for hours daily, has truly transformed my life for the better. I have no desire to go back.”
He clarified his motivation wasn`t solely focused on the fight.
“I didn’t do this just to defeat Merab. My decision to quit social media and other habits wasn`t driven by the rematch. It was entirely for my own mental clarity and peace,” O’Malley explained. “While everyone experiences some level of anxiety, I never had severe issues. But by getting off social media and reducing my phone usage, that low-level anxiety has practically vanished. It feels incredibly rewarding.”
The changes extend beyond online activity. O’Malley also stopped using marijuana this year. This marks a significant shift for a fighter previously known for openly supporting cannabis use and even smoking with Snoop Dogg early in his career. While he doesn`t view this as a permanent decision like his stance on social media, he feels the break has been beneficial.
“I don’t think I’ve smoked at all this year. Maybe once,” O’Malley commented. “That was another thing. I’m not saying I’ll never smoke weed again. I do enjoy it, but it started giving me an anxiety I didn’t want. It might have been a mix of social media and smoking. Something just told me, ‘Hey, let’s pause this. We’re stopping social media, stopping other things, let’s take a break from this too.’ And that feels genuinely good as well.”
Whether these personal adjustments will be the decisive factor in his rematch with Dvalishvili remains uncertain. The fact that O’Malley has also had surgery to repair the hip injury he carried into their first fight might also play a role. Regardless of what makes the difference, O’Malley is confident he will depart Newark as the bantamweight champion.
“I know I possess the ability to defeat Merab,” O’Malley asserted. “He’s definitely susceptible to knockouts. I’m very confident I can shut off his lights. I’m equally confident I can outperform him in a five-round fight. There`s a real chance I could knock him out, but I am fully prepared to go the entire 25 minutes. I’m ready to dig deep if necessary.”
