Sean O`Malley admitted he didn`t believe he was in significant danger when Merab Dvalishvili secured a front headlock during a grappling exchange in the third round of their fight. However, mere seconds later, the bout was over. This sequence was stunning for the former bantamweight champion, as he was compelled to tap out for the first time in his professional career, concluding his rematch against Dvalishvili in the main event of UFC 316.
Days after the fight, O’Malley and his coach, Tim Welch, discussed the submission. They commented on the confidence Dvalishvili displayed in directly targeting O`Malley`s neck, contrasting it with their initial meeting the previous September, where Dvalishvili seemed more focused on maintaining a superior positional advantage.
Speaking on his YouTube channel about the submission, O`Malley remarked, “It felt strange. I didn’t think it was going to be tight. I felt like he was just kind of stalling in that position, which he often does, and then it tightened up very quickly.”
“I thought, `oh f**k`,” he continued. “I didn’t realize how little time was remaining. I wish I had stayed in my guard more instead of trying to get up and make something happen. No excuses.”
Having fought Dvalishvili to a decision in their first encounter, O`Malley could only congratulate the Georgian fighter for successfully finishing the rematch with a well-executed effort.
Despite less than nine months passing between their bouts, O`Malley credited Dvalishvili with making necessary adjustments and somehow becoming even more powerful for the second fight. “He felt strong last time, but this time he felt just freakishly strong,” O’Malley stated. He even went as far as to say, “He’s the greatest bantamweight of all time.”
Although the result wasn`t in his favor, O’Malley acknowledged that his perspective following this loss feels significantly different compared to his first fight against Dvalishvili. A key factor is his current health; O`Malley reported feeling physically great, unlike after their September bout, which immediately required him to undergo hip surgery.
This time around, O`Malley knows he still needs to implement changes before competing again, but he is healthy and content, reflecting that his situation “could be a whole lot worse.”
“So, for me to go through something like that, and then Sunday and Monday arrive, I don’t feel sad at all,” O’Malley explained. “I still feel very happy. I feel a slight disappointment regarding the outcome. I feel frustrated, but there’s no sadness within me.”
He elaborated on his current state: “I’m holding my 14-day-old [child]; Elena is asleep on my chest; Dani [my wife] is right next to me. I`ll close my eyes and visualize moments – when he locked up the guillotine, I might have been able to do something differently – but there’s nothing I can do about it now. My mind moves on to the next thought; I’m not fixating on that thought or spiraling into a negative space. I still feel very good.”
With consecutive losses to Dvalishvili on his record, O`Malley will naturally face a different opponent for his next fight, but he expressed no current interest in discussing potential matchups.
During the podcast, one of O’Malley’s friends suggested a fight against Umar Nurmagomedov, who also lost a decision to Dvalishvili in January and is currently available. While this could be an intriguing option, O’Malley emphasized his immediate need to decompress, stating he will consider opponents and a timeline for his return at a later date.
“It`s nice not having to think about a fight right now,” O’Malley commented. “I genuinely want to relax for a few weeks, and it’s significantly better this way. Even if the UFC had decided what they want me to do, I wouldn’t want to know right now. Just let me relax for a bit.”
