(This story was updated to add new information.)
If Sean O'Malley wants a chance to get the bantamweight title back, the new champ says he can have it.
Merab Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) outworked O’Malley (18-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) for a unanimous decision in the UFC 306 main event a little less than two weeks ago at Sphere in Las Vegas. The bout was O’Malley’s second attempted title defense. He beat Aljamain Sterling to win the belt in August 2023, then beat Marlon Vera in March in his first defense.
While the fight with Dvalishvili appeared reasonably close on paper – Dvalishvili picked up a 49-46 score from one judge and 48-47s from two others – the fact remains no media outlets scoring the fight, as tracked by MMA Decisions, had it for O’Malley. A handful had 48-47 scores, but most had it 49-46 or 50-45 for Dvalishvili by a factor of about 2-to-1.
Still, O’Malley, on his YouTube podcast, said it’s his contention he won Rounds 1, 3 and 5 – and that the commentary helped create a bias among fans and pundits that he got his “ass whooped.” “I’m the champ. I won. Go rewatch that fight,” he said.
So if that’s the case, Dvalishvili said he’s down with a response on social media and even offered up a suggestion of UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden in New York in November.
“I hear O’Malley thinks he won the fight and is looking for a rematch,” Dvalishvili poster. “If he wants it he can have it. Let’s do it November 16th at the Garden and then I’ll still defend the title against whoever the UFC wants me to fight next. What do you think? @SugaSeanMMA”
I hear O’Malley thinks he won the fight and is looking for a rematch. If he wants it he can have it. Let’s do it November 16th at the Garden and then I’ll still defend the title against whoever the UFC wants me to fight next. What do you think? @SugaSeanMMA
— Merab “The Machine” Dvalishvili (@MerabDvalishvil) September 27, 2024
O’Malley said there was “no debate” he lost Rounds 2 and 4, “100 percent,” but not the other three rounds.
Dvalishvili critics have started to surmise that the only reason he’s offering O’Malley a rematch is because he knows it’s not a viable option for his first title defense, and that it’s possible he’s ducking Umar Nurmagomedov.
Nurmagomedov seems to think that’s the case.
He ready to fight with anyone except Umar Nurmagomedov https://t.co/yCXC9xwGQ0— Umar Nurmagomedov (@UNmgdv) September 27, 2024
O’Malley is scheduled to have hip surgery next week and will be out for what is expected to be, at minimum, six months – but perhaps as long as a year. The hip injury reportedly was one he suffered in camp.
Later on social media, O’Malley took his turn to chime in and maintained his stance that he won three rounds.
https://twitter.com/SugaSeanMMA/status/1839692041686798638
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 306.
