Sean O’Malley is eager to deliver an exciting performance in his upcoming rematch against Merab Dvalishvili, regardless of any negativity surrounding it.
The UFC has scheduled O’Malley to challenge bantamweight champion Dvalishvili in the main event of UFC 316 on June 7 in Newark, New Jersey. Dvalishvili previously defeated O’Malley for the title last September and then defended it against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311. O’Malley has not fought since his loss.
This immediate rematch has faced criticism from fans who are puzzled by O’Malley receiving this title shot after losing their first fight by decision. O’Malley addressed this criticism on The Ariel Helwani Show, telling those who are unhappy with the rematch to simply not tune in.
“Don’t watch,” O’Malley stated. “On Saturday night, June 7, watch your reality TV shows instead. Just don`t watch the fight.”
O’Malley had previously requested a rematch with Dvalishvili, even though he mentioned needing 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 he wanted to avenge his loss to Dvalishvili, title or no title.
“I am very thankful to the UFC for granting me this rematch,” O’Malley said. “I didn’t have extensive discussions with the UFC. I did inform them that this was the only fight I was interested in. I wanted to win back the belt—or rather, I wanted to fight Merab again. I wanted that rematch, and there wasn`t much negotiation involved. It was basically agreed upon quickly.”
According to O’Malley, his injury hindered his training for their first fight, particularly in preparing for Dvalishvili’s strong grappling. O’Malley previously defeated another grappling expert, Aljamain Sterling (Dvalishvili`s teammate), at UFC 292 to begin his title journey, although Sterling`s wrestling was not prominent in that fight.
Dvalishvili inflicted only the second defeat in O’Malley’s career – the first being against Marlon “Chito” Vera. O’Malley is determined to bounce back from this setback.
“There are two paths after a loss,” O’Malley explained. “You can either improve or decline, and I intend to improve. While the training camp and the fight itself didn`t go as planned, I believe it will make the victory in this rematch even more satisfying. I anticipate being a significant underdog. People may underestimate what I am capable of on June 7, which will make it even sweeter when I win.”
“I had to wait for a long time to prove that the first fight with Chito wasn`t representative of my abilities. This time, the wait for the rematch isn`t nearly as long, and I am excited to go out there and achieve a similar result in the rematch with Merab.”
Crucially for O’Malley, he doesn’t believe Dvalishvili outclassed him in their first encounter to the extent that a rematch should be questioned. However, he understands why some are hesitant to see him as the top contender immediately.
When fight night arrives, he intends to demonstrate precisely why he deserves this second opportunity so soon.
“I don’t think many people have truly rewatched our last fight because it wasn’t the most exciting fight to watch,” O’Malley commented. “However, upon a second viewing, you might realize it was closer than it seemed live. But most people haven’t rewatched it, and their initial opinions will likely remain unchanged.”
“Again, if they aren’t interested, they shouldn’t watch. But when I go out there and win, I guarantee people will rewatch it, or at least watch the finish if there is one. It might be a five-round decision, or it could be a finish, we’ll see. Ultimately, when that Saturday comes, people will be talking about it.”
