UFC Champion Merab Dvalishvili Defends Sean O’Malley Immediate Rematch 'I Made Him Humble'

In an attempt to laud the skills of his opponent and justify O’Malley being granted an immediate rematch, Dvalishvili told Helwani during his interview, “O’Malley, he hits hard. Even when he just touched me a little bit, I felt his power...It’s going to be a totally different fight. Rematches don’t always go like the first fight. It’s going to be different.”

Watch the full interview here:

The tension between the two competitors has cooled significantly since their first clash. Gone are the trash-talking jabs; instead, the two have shared cordial moments, including a jacuzzi session at the UFC Performance Institute.

Dvalishvili joked on social media in response to Sean O’Malley showing respect on an episode of his podcast, saying, “Cut it out, go back to talking sh—. I need to be mad about you again.”

Despite the newfound respect, Dvalishvili has admitted that he misses the fiery, brash version of O’Malley:

“I feel bad, actually, for this guy,” the current bantamweight champion told Ariel Helwani. “I stole his jacket, I stole his belt, I stole his fans. I made him humble. He’s different guy now. Good for him, and good for me too, how everything happened.”

Dvalishvili will look to solidify his title reign at bantamweight at UFC 316 against O’Malley, who will get a rare shot at immediate redemption.