Sean O’Malley admits 'delusional' belief he can still beat Merab Dvalishvili

Sean O'Malley not ruling out a trilogy win against Merab Dvalishvili

Former bantamweight champion O'Malley appeared on his YouTube channel, where he reflected on his rivalry with Dvalishvili. 'Suga' believes, like Holloway did with Poirier at UFC 318, he could notch a win against Dvalishvili if they fought for a third time.

"I truly believed that I was going to go out and make Merab look stupid [in the rematch]," O'Malley admitted. "And I'm still so delusional that I still believe I can do that. Max Holloway beat Dustin in his third fight, [he] lost the first two. So never say never."

Before anything, O'Malley would have to insert himself back into the title picture. Back-to-back losses against the champion are a good way to lock yourself out of title contention for a long time. Most likely, O'Malley will need two to three quality wins before considering a trilogy fight.

In this time, Dvalishvili will also be defending his belt, as he will face Cory Sandhagen at UFC 320 in October. At 35 years old, 'The Machine's' time at the top is dated; perhaps he'll meet O'Malley on the come-down, if it ever happens.