Sean O’Malley is prepared to deliver an exciting performance in his second fight against Merab Dvalishvili, regardless of any negativity surrounding it.
The UFC has scheduled a rematch between O’Malley and bantamweight champion Dvalishvili as the main event for UFC 316 on June 7 in Newark, New Jersey. Dvalishvili won the title from O’Malley last September and then defended it against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311. O’Malley hasn`t fought since his defeat.
This immediate rematch has drawn criticism from fans who are puzzled by O’Malley`s title shot after losing their first match by decision. O’Malley addressed this criticism on The Ariel Helwani Show, offering a straightforward message to those unhappy with the rematch.
“If you don’t like it, don’t watch,” O’Malley stated. “Tune into your reality TV shows on Saturday, June 7. Just don`t watch my fight.”
O’Malley had previously requested a rematch with Dvalishvili, even though he mentioned needing surgery and recovery for a shoulder injury. When he was ready to fight again, O’Malley says he didn’t make demands to UFC matchmakers, but he made it clear his priority was to avenge his loss to Dvalishvili, title or not.
“I appreciate the UFC giving me this rematch,” O’Malley said. “I didn`t have extensive talks with the UFC. I did tell them that this was the only fight I wanted. I wanted to win back the belt—actually, more than the belt, I wanted to fight Merab again. I wanted that rematch, and there wasn`t much discussion needed. It was basically agreed upon quickly.”
According to O’Malley, his injury limited his training for the first Dvalishvili fight, especially in preparing for Dvalishvili’s grappling. O’Malley previously defeated another strong grappler, Aljamain Sterling, at UFC 292 to begin his title run, although Sterling`s wrestling was not a factor in that fight.
Dvalishvili handed O’Malley only the second loss of his 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 chose to improve. The training camp and the fight itself didn`t go as expected, but I believe it will make this upcoming victory even more satisfying. I anticipate being a significant underdog. People might underestimate what I can do on June 7, which will make winning even sweeter.”
“I waited a long time, about three and a half years, 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’m eager to go out there and achieve a similar turnaround in the rematch with Merab.”
Importantly for O’Malley, he doesn`t believe he was completely outmatched by Dvalishvili in their first encounter, at least not to the point where a rematch is undeserved. However, he understands why some are skeptical about him being the top contender.
He intends to demonstrate on fight night precisely why he deserves this second opportunity.
“I don’t think many people have actually rewatched our last fight because it wasn`t a particularly exciting fight to watch,” O’Malley commented. “But if you watch it again, you might realize it was closer than it seemed live. However, most people haven`t rewatched it and aren’t interested in doing so, so their initial opinions will likely remain unchanged.”
“Again, if they’re not 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 could 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.”
