Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili in random jacuzzi crossover

It turns out that UFC stars Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili aren’t the bigger enemies that we once thought them to be.

Last year, Sean O’Malley defended his UFC bantamweight championship against Merab Dvalishvili. While it wasn’t a complete one-sided domination, it was clear to see that the Georgian sensation had done more than enough to get himself over the finish line.

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Now, as champion, he has already defended the belt successfully once against Umar Nurmagomedov. As we wait to see what’s next for him, Dvalishvili is enjoying his time in the spotlight as one of the most recognisable names in the promotion.

In a recent image released on social media, Dvalishvili showed off a new-found friendship of some kind with Sean O’Malley – which isn’t something many would’ve seen coming.

Having some fun in the jacuzzi w/ @sugasean 🦾🛁😂 pic.twitter.com/vZS57jYfWL

— Merab “The Machine” Dvalishvili (@MerabDvalishvil) March 8, 2025

O’Malley and Dvalishvili hanging out

Of course, when it comes to the actual competitive nature of the division, you’d have to think O’Malley and Dvalishvili will be at each other’s throats again before too long. They’re both warriors in their own right and if we do get the chance to see them run it back again, you’d have to think it’ll look different to the first fight in some way, shape or form.

Either way, the bantamweight division is in an exciting place right now. For O’Malley, all he needs to do is keep making his case and hopefully, he’ll get the rematch he desires.

Do you believe we will see these two men run it back for the UFC bantamweight championship? If it does happen, when do you expect to see it take place? Let us know your thoughts on this, BJPENN Nation!