Sean O’Malley is determined to impress in his upcoming rematch against Merab Dvalishvili, regardless of any skepticism from viewers.
The UFC has scheduled O’Malley to once again face bantamweight champion Dvalishvili as the headline event for UFC 316 on June 7 in Newark, N.J. This rematch comes after Dvalishvili`s victory over O’Malley to claim the title last September, and his subsequent title defense against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311. O’Malley has not competed since his defeat.
The decision to grant an immediate rematch has been met with criticism from fans, many questioning why O’Malley is receiving this opportunity after losing their first fight by decision. O’Malley addressed these concerns on The Ariel Helwani Show, offering a straightforward message to those unhappy with the arrangement.
“Don’t watch,” O’Malley stated plainly. “On Saturday night, June 7, just tune into your reality TV instead. Skip the fight.”
O’Malley had previously expressed his desire for a rematch with Dvalishvili, even mentioning a need for surgery and recovery for a shoulder injury. Upon his return to fighting condition, O’Malley says he didn`t make excessive demands to the UFC matchmakers, but he made it clear that his priority was to avenge his loss to Dvalishvili, title or not.
“I appreciate the UFC giving me this rematch,” O’Malley said. “My conversation with the UFC was minimal. I informed them that this was the only fight I was interested in. I wanted to reclaim the belt—or more accurately, I wanted to face Merab again. I wanted this rematch, and there wasn`t much debate. It was essentially agreed upon quickly.”
O’Malley explained that his injury hindered his training for their first encounter, particularly in preparing for Dvalishvili’s grappling style. O’Malley had previously achieved a title shot by defeating another strong grappler, Aljamain Sterling, at UFC 292. However, Sterling`s wrestling was not a significant factor in that fight.
Dvalishvili inflicted only the second defeat of O’Malley’s career – the first being against Marlon “Chito” Vera. O’Malley is determined to learn from this setback.
“There are two paths after a loss,” O’Malley reflected. “You can either improve or decline, and I intend to improve. While the training camp and the fight itself didn`t go as expected, I believe it will make a victory in this rematch even more satisfying. I anticipate being a significant underdog. People might underestimate what I’m capable of on June 7, which will make a win all the more rewarding.”
“I had to wait a long time to prove that the first fight with Chito wasn`t representative of my abilities. This time, the wait isn`t nearly as long, and I’m eager to go out there and achieve a similar turnaround in the rematch with Merab.”
Crucially for O’Malley, he doesn’t believe Dvalishvili decisively outclassed him in their first match, at least not to the extent that an immediate rematch is unwarranted. However, he understands the skepticism surrounding his status as the top contender.
He plans to demonstrate exactly why he deserves this second chance when they fight again.
“I don’t think many people have actually rewatched our last fight because it wasn`t particularly exciting,” O’Malley commented. “However, upon a second viewing, it’s evident that the fight was closer than it initially appeared live. But most people haven`t rewatched it, aren`t interested in doing so, and their initial opinions remain unchanged.”
“Again, if they`re not interested, they shouldn’t watch. But when I win, I’m sure people will rewatch it, or at least the finish, if there is one. It could be a five-round decision, or it could be a finish; we’ll see. Ultimately, when that Saturday arrives, people will be talking about it.”
