Former UFC bantamweight champion, Sean O’Malley isn’t dwelling on his recent loss to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306—instead, he’s already looking ahead to a rematch. After losing his UFC gold, O’Malley has made it clear that revenge is on his mind.
Though hip surgery will sideline him for a few months, ‘Suga’ has his sights set on a return in March 2025, aiming for UFC Miami.
With an undefeated record in rematches, O’Malley is confident that his next showdown with Dvalishvili will be different. The former champion took to Instagram to reveal the timeline for his return, and also say ‘f*ck Merab’.
“Undefeated in rematches undefeated in pink shorts undefeated in Miami undefeated in March. F*ck Merab.”
View this post on Instagram
While his claim of being undefeated is technically correct, his only rematch so far was against Marlon Vera.
‘Chito’ handed ‘Suga’ his first loss as a professional martial artist at UFC 252. Due to the nature of the loss, O’Malley maintained that he was still undefeated and desperately wanted to prove that Vera’s win was nothing but a fluke.
He got a chance to do that at UFC 299 as he took on Vera in his first-ever title defense. The 29-year-old put on a masterclass to secure a unanimous decision win which is why he proudly flaunts the undefeated claim.
Meanwhile, Dvalishvili has not backed away from the challenge. He commented on the post saying, “Let’s go Anytime anywhere…”
While O’Malley may have his eyes set on Merab, there is a very good chance that he may face someone else altogether. If Merab fails to defend his title against Umar Nuramgomedov or any of the other talented fighters at 135 pounds in the UFC.
O’Malley called out for biggest fight at bantamweight
Just a few weeks after announcing plans for an extended break, O’Malley is already eager to return to the octagon. Following his recent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his hip, the former bantamweight champ shared an update on his YouTube channel, saying he feels great and is determined to come back stronger than ever.
“I want to be back ASAP,” O’Malley said, targeting a return in March or April 2025. He’s itching to get back while he’s still in his prime, having just turned 30.
So, Cory Sandhagen, another top bantamweight, wasted no time calling out O’Malley, labeling a potential fight between them as “the biggest fight you can make at 135 lbs.”
Sandhagen is pushing for a showdown in early 2025, hoping to secure a title shot with a win over “Suga.” Fans are now eagerly waiting for UFC to confirm the highly anticipated matchup.
