Merab Dvalishvili continues to improve, recently marking his first UFC submission win at UFC 316 held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. He successfully defended his bantamweight title by defeating Sean O’Malley with a north-south choke, bringing his record against O’Malley to 2-0.
The fight showcased Dvalishvili’s renowned stamina as he relentlessly attempted takedowns, eventually overwhelming O’Malley in the third round. While O’Malley managed to counter six of Dvalishvili’s initial eight takedown attempts, he ultimately succumbed to exhaustion, yielding three out of four takedown attempts in the final round before tapping out in frustration.
Merab Dvalishvili once again defeated Sean O’Malley at UFC 316. (Elsa/Getty Images)
(Elsa via Getty Images)
Post-fight, a thrilled Dvalishvili reflected, “He was well trained and I knew he would make adjustments. I’m continually improving and still have more techniques to unveil.” The 34-year-old octagon warrior then set his sights on top contender Cory Sandhagen.
“He’s deserving of a title shot,” Dvalishvili stated of Sandhagen. “He’s consistently been a strong contender and I appreciate his approach.” Dvalishvili, currently ranked No. 3 in the pound-for-pound category, is enjoying a 13-fight win streak, the fourth-longest in UFC history.
Meanwhile, Sean O’Malley, 30, is grappling with his first professional losing streak after losing his belt in a tough matchup against Dvalishvili. He expressed disappointment, noting, “I didn’t expect it to unfold like that. It’s unfortunate it did. Merab is a formidable opponent.”
In the co-main event, Kayla Harrison captured the women’s bantamweight title after dominating Julianna Peña, winning via a second-round submission. After the fight, she faced off with Amanda Nunes, who announced her return from retirement to challenge Harrison for the championship.
