Sean O'Malley gets 100% real on sharpening his grappling skills for Merab Dvalishvili rematch: "It's been a long camp"

Former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley recently discussed sharpening his grappling skills ahead of his upcoming title fight.

'Suga' looks to retain his 135-pound belt against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 316 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on June 7. 'The Machine' outclassed O'Malley in their first fight at UFC Noche, using his grappling and distance management, nullifying his opponent's effective striking.

Speaking to radio host Jim Rome, O'Malley touched on his game plan ahead of UFC 316, stating:

"Every training camp you go through, you get a little bit better. This training camp has been a long one. It’s been just a lot of grappling. That’s all we’ve been doing. We did about 12, 13 weeks of focusing on Merab, focusing on getting better. I gotta break 'The Machine'. I gotta beat him. I gotta win the positions. I know I can beat Merab. He’s open to getting knocked out. I’m very confident that I can put his lights out. I'm also confident I can beat him in a five-round fight."

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Check out Sean O'Malley's comments below:

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Merab Dvalishvili's coach discusses Sean O'Malley getting an immediate rematch

Weeks away from UFC 316, Merab Dvalishvili's coach, John Wood, touched on Sean O'Malley getting an immediate rematch after losing his title to 'The Machine' in September last year.

In an interview with Submission Radio, Wood shared his perspective, stating:

"The UFC knows what they're doing. They are way smarter than any of us when it comes to the business of it, so I never knock them off who deserves or who shouldn't. We don't know what's gone on the backend or who was available, who wasn't available when they are making these cards. Do I personally think that [O'Malley] should have had to have fought somebody else? Yes, I do. In the realm of the rankings and who's there, I think it would have been a bigger build-up."

Check out John Wood's comments below (15:54):

About the author

Sunil holds a Bachelor of Science degree in visual communication. He started his professional career in 2023 and has previously worked with FirstSportz and Levitate Studios, among other organizations.

Sunil was drawn to MMA by Conor McGregor, especially the Irishman’s crossover boxing bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2017. His favorite fighter is Jorge Masvidal for his wild and unorthodox approach.

Surprisingly, ‘The Notorious’ and ‘Gamebred’ do not find a place in his Mt. Rushmore, which includes Chuck Liddell, Anderson Silva, Alex Pereira, Daniel Cormier, and Khabib Nurmagomedov. He feels ONE Championship’s Rodtang Jitmuangnon has the ability to succeed in the UFC due to his power.

Sunil is of the opinion that the UFC is not doing enough to prevent eye pokes and does not mind soccer kicks in MMA.

In his free time, he likes to watch anime and films in general. He’s also a boxing historian, having gotten into the sport watching videos of fighters like Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran.

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Edited by Sunil Krishnan