Sean O’Malley is set for a highly anticipated rematch against Merab Dvalishvili for the UFC bantamweight championship at UFC 316. His long-time jiu-jitsu coach, Augusto Mendes, expressed strong confidence that a more “mature” and fully recovered “Suga” will emerge victorious this time around.
O`Malley`s previous encounter with Dvalishvili in September 2024 resulted in a decision loss, one of only two defeats in his professional mixed martial arts career. Sean has openly discussed the challenges he faced leading up to that bout (UFC 306). Now, nine months later, Mendes believes O`Malley is significantly better prepared following a “very long” 12-week training camp.
According to O`Malley, a hip injury significantly hampered his guard work during the training camp before UFC 306. He revealed that his primary motivation for taking that fight was the opportunity to headline the historic event at The Sphere in Las Vegas. O`Malley also dealt with injuries before winning the title by knocking out Aljamain Sterling, an injury Mendes described as even more severe than the issues he had before facing Dvalishvili the first time.
However, Mendes stated that this time “Suga” is bringing his complete skillset for five rounds of championship competition. He highlighted O`Malley`s recent lifestyle changes, including abstaining from marijuana and social media use, and becoming a father, as factors contributing to his growth and maturity.
“He’s more mature now,” Mendes explained. “He’s 30 now, and he’s enjoyed his 20s like all of us, right? I mean, he more than us because of his status [laughs]. But it’s his evolution as a person.”
Mendes continued, suggesting Dvalishvili has a false impression of O`Malley`s current capabilities. “We think Merab didn’t see the best version of ‘Suga’. Merab thinks he knows what is like, but it wasn’t his best last time around. Maybe he’ll be surprised as soon as the fight starts and he sees different movement, different power, better jiu-jitsu. ‘Damn, it’s not like I thought it would be.’ We’re sure of that. ‘Suga’ knows that too. We’re very confident that Merab will see the best version of Sean now.”
Dvalishvili boasts an impressive winning streak spanning over seven years. A victory at UFC 316 would extend this streak to 13 consecutive wins, placing him fourth in UFC history behind only Anderson Silva, Kamaru Usman, and Islam Makhachev for the longest winning streaks. Despite Dvalishvili`s formidable record, Mendes, who previously described him as “hittable,” is confident that O`Malley will be the one to end the streak this Saturday.
Mendes asserted O`Malley`s versatility: “[O’Malley] can win in any area. He’s well-prepared. He can win via decision if he has to. He’s ready for 25 minutes of war. He’s focused. Merab really is hittable. His approach to the fight was different than his other fights. For [Henry] Cejudo, even Umar [Nurmagomedov], he fought more like a striker. Against Sean he would punch the air from afar and then shoot when in range.”
He concluded by hinting at potential surprises on the ground, even against the highly-regarded grappler Dvalishvili. “I think he’ll taunt from the outside and keep his hands up and shoot when in close range, but I believe Sean can win in any area. I’m very confident in a knockout. Maybe there are some surprises on the ground. We know Merab is not easy to tap, but we have some tricks up his sleeve if he gets to a good position.”
