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Previous bantamweight king Sean O’Malley is taking every precaution possible in preparation for his upcoming rubber match with Merab Dvalishvili this June.
Sean O’Malley Once on Top of Bantamweight Division Before Being Booted From Throne
At one point in time, Sean O’Malley was hailed as not only the best competitor in the bantamweight division, but also one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world. Suffering his first professional defeat to Marlon Vera in 2020, the Montana native embarked on a redeeming warpath through the rankings, defeating opponents like Raulian Paiva, Pedro Munhoz and Petr Yan. This earned the striking specialist a much-anticipated title shot against then incumbent Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292, knocking out “Funkmaster” in the second round.
Following a flawless defense of his championship later that next year, it seemed Sean O’Malley was destined for a lengthy stay at the summit of the bantamweight class. That was until he was soundly defeated by Georgian sensation Dvalishvili at UFC 306, unable to halt the superior wrestling of his challenger.
Sean O’Malley Receiving Aid From “Stylebender” Ahead of UFC 315
After nine months of thinking on the lessons of the defeat, Sean O’Malley will receive an immediate rematch with “The Machine” at UFC 316 next month. Hailed as one of the best strikers in the weight category, “Suga” has spared no expense in preparing for what is shaping up to be arguably the most important bout of his entire career.
While still sticking to his long-time coach and friend Tim Welch, the bantamweight star has also brought on another seasoned kickboxer into his fight camp to iron out any and all deficiencies in his stand up game, that seasoned individual being middleweight legend Israel Adesanya.
In the not too distant past, “The Last Stylebender” was reputed as a standout figure in the sport, holding the 185-lb belt from 2019 until 2023 across two separate reigns. Defending his championship a total of five consecutive times, Adesanya had bested other phenomenal strikers in Robert Whittaker (twice), Yoel Romero, Paulo Costa and Alex Pereira.
Could Sean O’Malley Be Even More Brutal This Time vs. Dvalishvili?
With such a notable competitor helping him train, it is fair to say that O’Malley will enter his runback with Dvalishvili even deadlier on the feet. However, the biggest question surrounding their confrontation will be if the American can withstand the otherworldly grappling of the bantamweight champion.
During their initial showdown last September, O’Malley largely struggled to fire off any meaningful shots before Dvalishvili could take him down and control him with his unyielding pressure. Though, if the former 135-lb apex has taught us anything, it is that he performs well in rematches.
