Sean O'Malley Sends Cold Warning to Merab Dvalishvili Ahead of UFC 316 Rematch
Sean O'Malley Sends Cold Warning to Merab Dvalishvili Ahead of UFC 316 Rematch originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Sean O'Malley is set to take on Merab Dvalishvili in a rematch on June 8, headlining UFC 316. The pair previously fought at UFC 308, where Dvalishvili won a dominant decision to become the bantamweight champion.
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O'Malley is seeking revenge and is also looking to get his belt back. The theme of the fight is that it's a striker vs grappler showdown.
'Suga' is known for his slick striking, and 12 of his 18 wins have come by knockout. Dvalishvili, meanwhile, is a pressure fighter and can tire his opponents out with his relentless action.
'The Machine' relied heavily on his grappling in their first fight and nullified O'Malley's offerings.
Merab Dvalishvili of Georgia (gold gloves) talks with Joe Rogan after he defeated Sean O'Malley© Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Dvalishvili, though, is looking to switch up his gameplan ahead of the rematch and is looking to showcase his striking skills.
'Suga', however, thinks that'd be a bad idea for the current champion to try. Speaking to UFC Countdown, he said:
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"It's no secret, it's striker vs. wrestler, it's finisher vs. decisioner. His game plan is to get hold of me and hold me. My goal is to out there and put his lights out."
He added, "This fight, he said I'm going to prove how crazy I am, I am going to box with him. If that's his game plan, that would be stupid. I know I can put Merab's lights out. UFC 316, I am going to finish Merab, the fact that he beat me and I go out and finish him makes it that much sweeter."
The UFC 316 card has two title fights this weekend. Apart from O'Malley vs Dvalishvili, the women's bantamweight title will be on the line.
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Julianna Pena will take on Kayla Harrison. Kevin Gastelum will fight Joe Pyfer in a middleweight clash. Patchy Mix will make his UFC debut against Mario Bautista, and Vicente Luque vs Kevin Holland will conclude the main card.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
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