Sean O’Malley seems to be maturing drastically with time. With the title fight against Merab Dvalishvili coming up, O’Malley has the perfect opportunity to take back his bantamweight crown. However, this time, ‘Suga’ wants to keep things strictly professional. He now wants to enter into the fight with a clear mindset, purely out of love for the sport. Surprisingly, this was not how he approached fighting the first time O’Malley locked horns against ‘The Machine.’
Sean O’Malley recently dropped a surprising revelation about his initial face off against Dvalishvili. Speaking on the ‘Full Send Podacast,’ O’Malley pointed out how he had forced himself to dislike the Georgian last time. But this time, ‘Suga’ does not wants to make things personal. Rather, he wants to focus more on the game in hand.
“I forced myself to not like Merab. It wasn’t genuine… This camp, I have nothing against Merab. I’m gonna go out there and compete because I love to compete,” said O’Malley.
Sean O’Malley admits he forced the beef with Merab in their first fight
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 30, 2025
“I forced myself to not like Merab. It wasn’t genuine…
This camp, I have nothing against Merab. I’m gonna go out there and compete because I love to compete.”
🎥 @fullsendpodcastpic.twitter.com/ReIHBeNUDc
Surely, this seems to be the perfect mindset for ‘Suga’ going forward with the fight. Afterall, the main aim will be to reclaim the bantamweight gold. With Dvalishvili establishing himself as a daunting opponent, O’Malley needs to be on his toes this time if he wants to leave a serious impact on the fight. Thankfully for ‘Suga’ he seems to be oozing confidence heading up to his big UFC 316 matchup.
Sean O’Malley Vows To ‘Break’ Merab Dvalishvili
The last time they met, it was a pretty one-sided affair. With Merab Dvalishvili showing impeccable grappling skills, O’Malley looked out of answers. The Georgian pinned the then champion to the ground and had significant control over him throughout the fight. But this time around, O’Malley is confident of turning things around. In fact, he is looking to ‘break’ Merab Dvalishvili.
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“It’s been a lot of grappling. That’s all we’ve been doing… I gotta break the machine. I gotta beat him… I know I can beat Merab. He’s open to getting knocked out. I’m very confident that I can put his lights out,” O’Malley stated.
🗣️ Sean O’Malley:
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 29, 2025
“It’s been a lot of grappling. That’s all we’ve been doing…
I gotta break the machine. I gotta beat him… I know I can beat Merab. He’s open to getting knocked out. I’m very confident that I can put his lights out.” 👀
🎥 @jimromepic.twitter.com/CrgR4JNqWv
Thus, with the former champion looking quite confident, it now remains to be seen how the fight between the two pan out.
Also Read: Merab Dvalishvili Eyes Striking Showdown With Sean O’Malley If Takedowns Are Thwarted
