UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley revealed his plans to fight Merab Dvalishvili next.
On March 9, O’Malley looks to secure his first bantamweight title defense in a rematch against Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera. ‘Sugar’ is locked in for his legacy-defining moment in the UFC 299 main event but that hasn’t stopped him from planting seeds for what’s next.
O’Malley has recently called for a featherweight title shot against the newly-crowned Ilia Topuria. With that said, the American superstar has changed his mind after attending UFC 298, where Topuria and number-one ranked bantamweight Merab Dvalishvili won their respective fights.
‘Sugar’ uploaded a video on his YouTube channel sharing his reaction to Dvalishvili’s latest win against Henry Cejudo:
“Just watched Henry [Cejudo] vs. Merab [Dvalishvili] for the first time, rewatched it on the TV. Here’s my thoughts. Well, initially, I was calling for Ilia [Topuria]. I wanted the Ilia fight, I wanted that fight. It excites me, but I also thought the fans would get excited about it. I got a lot of pushback saying, ‘You’re ducking Merab, Merab is next.’ So, Merab is next. Let’s do Merab.
Sean O’Malley predicts violent knockout win in potential fight against Merab Dvalishvili
Merab Dvalishvili made his UFC debut in December 2017 and lost his first two promotional fights. Since then, the Georgian bantamweight contender has won ten consecutive fights, making him the clear next title challenger in the 135-pound division.
Dvalishvili might have the grappling background that can give Sean O’Malley troubles, but the bantamweight king isn’t worried. O’Malley had this to say during the previously mentioned YouTube video:
“I’m telling you guys, I knock Merab out. I rewatched Henry vs. Aljo [Sterling] after I was there, and I told you guys, I’m knocking Aljo out. All you guys said, ‘No way, you’re not knocking Aljo out. He’s going to take you down and kill you. Here we go again.”
O’Malley continued:
“Obviously I have to get through Chito [Vera], but when I fight Merab, I’m knocking that dude out.”[Merab is] sloppy. I’m accurate, I’m too fast, I’m too sharp. I’m telling you boys, I put Merab’s lights out worse than Aljo. Aljo, a little TKO. Merab, I’m putting him to sleep, turning his nose straight.”
In August 2020, Sean O’Malley suffered his lone professional MMA loss against his upcoming opponent, Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera. O’Malley has silenced the doubters since that disappointing result by securing five consecutive wins, including four by KO/TKO.
Watch O’Malley’s entire video posted on YouTube below:
