Sean O’Malley issues statement after UFC 306 title loss to Merab Dvalishvili
Sean O’Malley has lost the UFC Bantamweight Championship to Merab Dvalishvili, and he’s issued a brief statement.
O’Malley entered the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada this past Saturday night with hopes of making his second successful 135-pound title defense. It didn’t pan out for “Suga,” who had difficulty dealing with the pressure and takedowns of Dvalishvili. While O’Malley did hurt Dvalishvili with a body shot deep into the fight, it was too little, too late.
Dvalishvili emerged victorious via unanimous decision to take the bantamweight gold away from O’Malley.
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Sean O’Malley Gets Real About UFC 306 Title Loss to Merab Dvalishvili
Sean O’Malley kept things brief in his statement on X following the unanimous decision defeat to Merab Dvalishvili. It’s clear that the “Suga” show expected better from himself and he has apologized to his supporters.
Over promised under delivered. Sorry. Love you guys.
— Sean O'Malley (@SugaSeanMMA) September 15, 2024
“Over promised under delivered,” O’Malley wrote. “Sorry. Love you guys.”
Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov have already exchanged words following Noche UFC, and the two might be on a collision course with bantamweight gold at stake. As for O’Malley, it’s gut check time for the now former 135-pound ruler.
This is just the second loss in the pro MMA career of O’Malley, and his first defeat via decision. He will have to go to the drawing board to come up with an answer for the relentless pace of Dvalishvili. If he doesn’t get an immediate rematch with the newly-minted bantamweight titleholder, then there are some fresh matchups the UFC might explore.
There’s also the possibility of a Petr Yan rematch. Yan has already taken aim at O’Malley post-UFC 306, claiming the “Suga” show was gifted a split decision win over him back in October 2022. We’ll see what the UFC matchmakers have in store for O’Malley next.
